WALES

Departmental Art Works

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which works of art from the Government Art Collection each Minister in his Department has selected for display in a private office.

Paul Murphy: None

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether his Department uses WPA2 encryption protocol on all its wireless networks.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office does not operate any wireless networks.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what auditing his Department undertakes to ensure that IT security policies are being followed; and on how many occasions  (a) IT security policies have been breached by employees and  (b) a member of staff has been sanctioned for a breach of such policies in the last 12 months.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office's IT services are provided by the Ministry of Justice, which has in place safeguards and auditing capabilities to ensure that IT policies are being followed by staff. No members of Wales Office staff have broken IT security rules in the last 12 months.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's IT security hierarchy;
	(2)  what scanning for vulnerabilities his Department conducts of each of its IT devices; what method is used for IT device scans; and how many vulnerabilities have been detected as a result of such scans in the last 12 months;
	(3)  what IT security policy his Department has; what procedures are in place to ensure the policy is being followed; what his Department's policy is on encryption of data when they leave departmental premises; and what sanctions are in place for failure to comply with this policy.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office is provided with its IT services by the Ministry of Justice, which is responsible for IT security. Safeguards and audit capabilities are in place to ensure their policies are followed.
	When leaving departmental premises, all data are required to be encrypted, and the capability to copy data onto removable media such as CDs or memory sticks is significantly limited. Staff found not to be complying with this policy risk disciplinary action.

Departmental Postal Services

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what percentage of letters sent by his Department were given to  (a) the Royal Mail and  (b) another postal services provider for delivery in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: All the Wales Office's external mail is handled by the Royal Mail. All mail addressed to other Government Departments is handled by the Government Car and Despatch Agency.

TRANSPORT

Departmental Data Protection

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy for his Department to sign the Information Commissioner's Personal Information Promise.

Geoff Hoon: The Government welcomed the promise as a commendable initiative to raise awareness of the importance of effective data protection safeguards, particularly for those organisations with no similar commitments already in place.
	The Government take data protection very seriously. Following the Cabinet Office Review of Data Handling Procedures in Government, Departments have implemented a raft of measures to improve data security.
	The Ministry of Justice is considering actively with the Information Commissioner's Office how the promise might add additional value to those measures we have already signed up to. These include the Information Charters, the recommendations of the Data Handling Review and the Thomas/Walport Review and, of course, our legal obligations under the Data Protection Act and other legislation and regulations.

Departmental Leave

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for which bargaining units in his Department  (a) public and privilege days and  (b) annual leave entitlements accrue during (i) ordinary and (ii) additional maternity leave.

Geoff Hoon: All bargaining units within the Department for Transport except the Vehicle Certification Agency, allow accrual of public and privilege days and annual leave during both ordinary and additional maternity leave. Vehicle Certification Agency allows accrual of annual leave only during both ordinary and additional maternity leave.

Departmental NDPBs: Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by  (a) his Department,  (b) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency,  (c) the Driving Standards Agency,  (d) the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency,  (e) the Government Car and Despatch Agency and  (f) the Highways Agency is in 2008-09.

Geoff Hoon: The requested information is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			  (a) Central Department 7,970 
			  (b) Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 5,405 
			  (c) Driving Standards Agency 24,000 
			  (d) Vehicle and Operator Services Agency 0 
			  (e) Government Car and Despatch Agency 0 
			  (f) Highways Agency 64,087

Departmental Publications

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the terms of reference of his Department's staff handbook streamlining project are.

Geoff Hoon: To review the staff handbook and people management policies to ensure they are up to date, comply with any changes in employment law and support the Department in achieving its objectives.

DVLA: Personal Records

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) customer case and  (b) other files containing personal information have been lost by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Individual cases are managed via an electronic casework system. This has been accredited to Government security standards and there has been no data loss from this system.
	There are paper-based casework files that are held both at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency HQ and its local offices. These files are managed locally and the cost of collecting information for lost or misplaced files would be prohibitive.

Park and Ride Schemes: Coastal Areas

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many park and ride schemes operate in English seaside towns; where such schemes are located; what recent assessment he has made of the viability of such schemes; what the average public subsidy provided for such schemes in 2008 was; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not hold central data on park and ride sites located in seaside towns. Local authorities are responsible for funding most park and ride schemes, mainly through the integrated transport block, which the Department allocates to support local transport plans (LTPs). The funding is for local authorities to invest in transport capital works, including park and ride, according to their local plans and priorities. It totals £576 million for the 2008-09 period.
	Local authorities also make appropriate assessment of the on-going viability of park and ride schemes. It would not be appropriate to initiate a specific nationwide audit of park and ride schemes on top of the other audit and reporting processes Government require from local authorities.
	The Department does provide funding for major transport projects of over £5 million. In 2008, one major scheme in a coastal town for which there was a park and ride element received £16.2 million of Government funding. However only a small proportion of that amount would have been dedicated to the park and ride element.
	Park and ride schemes play an important part in helping to tackle congestion in many localities. They are one of a range of policy tools suggested by the full guidance on the second local transport plans (2006 to 2011), published in December 2004 and shortly due to be revised for the next planning round.

Railways: Sussex

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will direct a redrafting of the timetable for rail services in Sussex to take account of the needs of rail passengers as part of the Sussex Route Utilisation Strategy.

Paul Clark: holding answer 27 February 2009
	Route Utilisation Strategies seek to balance capacity, demand (passenger and freight), operational performance and cost, to address the requirements of funders and all stakeholders. Network Rail is in the course of developing a Route Utilisation Strategy for Sussex, in conjunction with, and on behalf of, rail industry partners and wider stakeholders. It would be inappropriate for Government to issue directions.

Rolling Stock

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason he has required Southern to transfer rolling stock to First Capital Connect from April 2009; and what assessment he has made of the consequences of this requirement for passengers on Southern's services.

Paul Clark: holding answer 27 February 2009
	The Thameslink programme requires the introduction of a new timetable on the 22 March. This timetable is necessary to enable major works to start at London Blackfriars.
	The timetable requires additional dual voltage rolling stock, which are currently being delivered from Bombardier.
	Bombardier are late in the delivery of these new trains, and as a short-term measure, Southern are supplying up to eight dual voltage trains to First Capital Connect.
	Southern will operate additional single voltage trains that can be provided from other operators maintaining the levels of service provided.

Rolling Stock

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to reallocate coaches from the Gatwick Express service to other services operated by Southern; and if he will take account of current passenger loading in the reallocation.

Paul Clark: holding answer 27 February 2009
	There are currently no plans to reduce the number of coaches forming each Gatwick Express train. The class 460 trains will remain eight-car stock and it is envisaged that the refurbished class 442 trains will remain in 10-car formation.
	Until the December 2008 timetable change, the Gatwick Express fleet was formed of 64 class 460 vehicles dedicated to use on Gatwick Express services.
	Since December 2008, in addition to the class 460 services, six peak Gatwick Express services have been extended to and from Brighton. These services have been enabled through the leasing and refurbishment of 85 class 442 vehicles. Due to delays in the refurbishment programme, some of the extended Gatwick Express services have been formed of Southern class 377 trains. However, from 16 March it is envisaged that class 377 stock will no longer be used on the extended Gatwick Express service.
	It is planned that, if sufficient class 442 vehicles are delivered from the refurbishment programme, they will also be deployed on the Eastbourne to London Bridge route from the end of March.
	Bids for the replacement South Central franchise have now been received and are in the process of being evaluated. Contained within the bid submissions are the bidders' plans to accommodate existing passenger loads and to provide for future demand, including details of the rolling stock that they propose to lease. The award of the franchise, and the commitments made by the incoming franchisee, are scheduled for announcement in early June.

Safer Roads Humber

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much public money has been paid to Safer Roads Humber to support the discharge of its objectives; from what sources such funding has been drawn; what rules are in place to ensure value for money from such funding; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government have provided financial support for road safety activities to the four local highway authorities in the area covered by the Safer Roads Humber partnership. The local authorities are responsible for final decisions about how much funding to allocate to the Safer Roads Humber partnership. The funding the local authorities put into the partnership is subject to the relevant audit requirements placed on the local authorities.
	The funding support provided to the local authorities in the Humber area relating specifically to road safety in 2008-09 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Local authority  Contribution to area based grant  Specific capital grant 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 613,041 136,398 
			 Kingston upon Hull 511,892 113,893 
			 North East Lincolnshire 297,395 66,169 
			 North Lincolnshire 341,202 75,916

Wheel Clamping: Scotland

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made for the purposes of policy formulation of the efficacy of the prohibition of wheel clamping on private land in Scotland.

Paul Clark: Wheel clamping on private land in Scotland is a devolved matter for the Scottish Executive. Wheel clamping on private land in England is a matter for the Home Secretary.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Cars: Theft

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many car-jackings have taken place in each district command unit in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answer of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1163W, on redundancy, what estimate has he made of the annual payroll savings resulting from staff exit schemes in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07,  (c) 2007-08 and  (d) 2008-09 excluding the cost of severance packages; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent figures for 2009-10.

Shaun Woodward: Further to the answer given on 25 November 2008, as corrected on 24 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1MC, all staff referred to left the Northern Ireland Office on early retirement terms and not on staff exit schemes.

Local Government: Elections

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the reasons are for the postponement of the 2010 local council elections in Northern Ireland until 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Assembly recently passed legislation to reduce the number of councils in Northern Ireland from 26 to 11. This reduction is being implemented and it is planned that it will be in place by 2011. For this reason Parliament recently approved legislation to postpone the local elections previously scheduled for 2009 in Northern Ireland until 2011, so that the next local elections can be held under the new 11 council model.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Anti-Semitism: West Midlands

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will request the Chief Constable of the West Midlands to compile a report on the  (a) number and  (b) location of reported anti-Semitic incidents in the West Midlands since December 2008; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The Government abhor all forms of hate crime including that of anti-Semitism. From April 2008 police forces have been collecting hate crime statistics, using the race, faith, disability or homophobic flag to indicate whether an offence is considered to be aggravated by these factors. These data are for intelligence purposes, to better understand any trends in hate crime and to target resources. These will include anti-Semitic hate crime.

Appropriate Adults

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times an appropriate adult has been called to a police station because of concerns that a suspect is mentally disordered or mentally vulnerable in each police force area in each year since 2000; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: This information is not held centrally.

Asylum

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her Department's policy is on granting asylum to applicants who claim to have been persecuted by members of  (a) another ethnic group and  (b) armed groups operating unlawfully in their country of origin.

Phil Woolas: Our policy in deciding whether to grant asylum is set out in the immigration rules.
	In accordance with this policy, UK Border Agency case owners carefully consider asylum claims to determine whether the person has a well-founded fear of persecution on grounds of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group. This will include persecution by members of another ethnic group or armed groups operating unlawfully in the country of origin where the state authorities, or the organisation (including international organisations) controlling the state territory, are unable or unwilling to provide protection against persecution or serious harm and where the individual cannot reasonably be expected to avoid the persecution by relocating within the country concerned.

Asylum

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what documentation her Department provides to asylum seekers when they claim asylum after arrival in the UK; and what services such people are entitled to receive on arriving in the country.

Phil Woolas: Asylum applicants and their dependants are issued with an Application Registration Card (ARC) on or after arrival in the United Kingdom, as an acknowledgement of an asylum claim made to the UK Border Agency. The card contains information about the identity and immigration status of the holder.
	Asylum applicants are also issued with information sheets which set out the services they are entitled to receive for the duration of their claim. This includes health care, schooling for children and, subject to their financial circumstances, access to legal representation and benefits.

Asylum

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to expand the Gateway refugee programme; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: We have no plans to increase the quota from its current level.

Asylum

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 9 December 2004,  Official Report, columns 733-7W, to the right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on asylum and immigration, how many asylum seekers have been dispersed to each parliamentary constituency in the latest two-year period for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: Information on the number of asylum seekers that have been dispersed to each parliamentary constituency over a two-year period is not collated centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Statistics on the location of asylum seekers in the UK are published in tables 5 and 6 of the quarterly bulletin  Control of Immigration on the number of asylum seekers in receipt of support at the end of the quarter, broken down by Government office, region and local authority.
	Copies of these publications are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html.
	Further break downs by parliamentary constituency are available from the Library of the House.

Asylum: Children

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to bring forward proposals to amend the Leaving Care Act 2000 to allow unaccompanied asylum-seeking children to return to their country of origin.

Phil Woolas: None; the Children Act 1989 as amended by the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 has no effect on the return of unaccompanied asylum seeking children to their countries of origin.

Asylum: Children

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress her Department is making in relation to special authority status for local authorities who are dealing with unaccompanied asylum seeking children.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency will shortly be seeking proposals from local authorities, or groups of local authorities, setting out the numbers of unaccompanied asylum seeking children they could accommodate, and at what cost.

Bail

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many persons arrested were later released on police bail of  (a) less than three months,  (b) three to six months,  (c) six to nine months,  (d) nine to 12 months and  (e) more than 12 months in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07;
	(2)  how many persons were  (a) arrested,  (b) arrested and later released on police bail and  (c) arrested but not charged in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07;
	(3)  how many persons arrested and later released on police bail sought a court review of their bail conditions in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07; and how many such bail conditions were subsequently (i) varied and (ii) rescinded in each of those years.

Alan Campbell: There were 1,429,800 persons arrested in England and Wales in 2005-06 and 1,482,200 persons arrested in 2006-07.
	There is no link between the arrests data reported to the Home Office and any subsequent outcome, therefore data on those arrested and then released on police bail are not available.

Crime: Economic Situation

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the likely effect of the recession on levels of  (a) acquisitive crime,  (b) violent crime,  (c) fraudulent crime and  (d) social disorder in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office monitors crime levels quarterly through published statistics, and more often through management data to inform performance discussions. However, crime levels fluctuate in the short term, and it is too early to draw firm conclusions about longer term trends and the influence of individual factors on crime in 2008-09.
	Academic research, including a study by the Home Office, has demonstrated an association between changes in the economy and some crime. However, in looking at future crime, these studies cannot fully allow for the impact of policy or other interventions and hence do not predict actual levels of crime.
	Since March 2003, overall property crime has fallen by 18 per cent., exceeding the 15 per cent. target set out in the Home Office's public service agreement. That reduction is greater than would have been forecast based on economic factors alone.
	The Government have long-standing, sound systems and flexible policies in place to deal with crime. These have led to significant reductions: overall crime, as measured by the British Crime Survey, has fallen by 39 per cent. since 1997. They also mean that we are well placed to prevent future rises in crime. As the Association of Chief Police Officers pointed out in January, the Police Service has never been in a better and stronger position to meet challenges caused by the economic downturn. The Department is confident that these policies and systems provide the flexibility needed to respond to future economic challenges.

Detainees: Prostitution

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms are in place to monitor the number of individuals who have worked as prostitutes and have subsequently been detained in  (a) prisons and  (b) immigration removal centres; and what schemes are available to offer support to such individuals.

Alan Campbell: This information is not available.

Firearms

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to prevent the  (a) conversion to live fire of and  (b) distribution of blank-firing firearms.

Alan Campbell: We are working with the police to tackle the supply of all firearms. An action day in November 2007 resulted in 124 arrests and the seizure of 10 real and over a thousand imitation firearms. We are also working with both the Serious Organised Crime Agency and HM Revenue and Customs, who have increased the priority and resources they focus on this issue, to prevent and detect illegal firearms entering the UK, including readily-convertible blank firers which are prohibited under the provisions of the Firearms Acts. Regulations are being prepared under section 39 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 setting out the specifications to which blank firing imitation firearms must conform.

Genetics: Databases

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1249-51W, on genetics: databases, how many and what proportion of recorded crimes have been detected using DNA from the national DNA database in each month since April 2008; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The number and proportion of recorded crimes detected in which a DNA match was available for 2008-09 to date is shown in table 1. Data on the number of crimes detected with a DNA match are collected on a quarterly, rather than a monthly, basis. The figures provided are for quarters 1 and 2 of 2008-09; the quarter 3 figures are not yet available. Table 1 also includes projected figures for the full year 2008-09 which are based on the figures for quarters 1 and 2.
	The figures for the number of crimes detected in which a DNA match was available only include crimes detected in which a DNA match was reported by the National DNA Database (NDNAD). They do not include DNA matches which arise through case work in serious crime, which usually involve comparing DNA profiles in a forensic laboratory; these data are not collected centrally. It is also important to note that the detections are achieved through integrated criminal investigation, not through DNA alone.
	The presentation of crimes detected with DNA as a proportion of total recorded crime undervalues the relative contribution of DNA to the crime detection rate.
	It should be noted that the majority of recorded crimes do not have a crime scene (for example, minor assault, drugs offences, theft, fraud etc.) and do not have a crime scene examination. In 2007-08, just over 854,000 crimes had a crime scene examination (17 per cent. of recorded crimes). In those crimes which have a crime scene examination, some do not yield any forensic material (DNA or fingerprints). In 2007-08, potential DNA material was collected at 102,400 crimes; and of these, 41,800 crimes yielded DNA crime scene samples of sufficient quantity and quality for profiling and loading to the NDNAD. Of the 41,800 crimes in which a crime scene sample profile was loaded, a match was generated in 37,375 crimes (this represents 89 per cent. of crimes where DNA material was loaded to the NDNAD).
	The proportion of 'crimes detected in which a DNA match was available', of those, 'crimes where potential DNA material was collected' is shown in table 2.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   Detected crimes in which a DNA match was available ('DNA  d etections')  Additional detections arising from the DNA match( 1)  Total detected crimes in which a DNA match was available or played a part  Total recorded crime  Proportion of 'total crimes detected in which a DNA match was available or played a part' of total recorded crime (percentage) 
			 Q1 2008-09 4,557 4,369 8,926 1215,600 0.73 
			 Q2 2008-09 4,418 3,799 8,217 1,208,800 0.68 
			 Year to date (first two quarters) 8,975 8,168 17,143 2,424,400 0.71 
			 Projected figure for 2008-09(2) 17,950 16,336 34,286 4,848,800 0.71 
			 (1) Additional detections may result from the original crime with the DNA match due to the identification of further offences through forensic linkage or through admission by the offender. (2) The projected figures for 2008-09 are based on the actual figures for quarters 1 and 2 of 2008-09 multiplied by two. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 
			   Detected crimes in which a DNA match was available ('DNA  d etections')  Additional detections arising from the DNA match( 1)  Total detected crimes in which a DNA match was available or played a part  Crimes where potential DNA material collected  Proportion of 'crimes detected in which a DNA match was available' of 'crimes where potential DNA material collected' (percentage) 
			 Q1 2008-09 4,557 4,369 8,926 24,103 37.03 
			 Q2 2008-09 4,418 3,799 8,217 25,076 32.77 
			 Year to date (first two quarters) 8,975 8,168 17,143 49,179 34.86 
			 Projected figure for 2008-09 17,950 16,336 34,286 98,358 34.86 
			 (1) Additional detections may result from the original crime with the DNA match due to the identification of further offences through forensic linkage or through admission by the offender.

Genetics: Databases

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 23 January 2008,  Official Report, column 2062W, on genetics: database, what research projects utilising data from the national DNA database have been approved since 15 January 2008; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: No research projects using data from the national DNA database have been approved since the previous answer of 23 January 2008,  Official Report, column 2062W.

Human Trafficking

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many trafficked persons identified as such by  (a) police forces and  (b) other authorities in each of the last three years are subsequently known to have been trafficked further.

Alan Campbell: Figures on re-trafficking of victims are not held centrally. Analysis of the outcomes of Pentameter 2 is currently being undertaken by the UK Human Trafficking Centre and will provide a more up to date picture of the extent of trafficking into the UK and the threat of re-trafficking of victims.

Human Trafficking

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many trafficked  (a) women and  (b) children discovered through police operations against human trafficking in each of the last three years have subsequently been registered missing and are thought still to be in the UK.

Alan Campbell: Figures on the number of those identified as trafficked women who have absconded are not held centrally.
	Under Operation Pentameter 2, police recovered 16 children, 13 of whom had been identified as potentially trafficked for sexual exploitation, none of whom have been reported as having absconded and three for forced labour, of which, one absconded with the other two remaining in local authority care.

Human Trafficking: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers in Essex Police Force have received training on the Council of Europe Convention Against Trafficking of Human Beings in the last three years.

Alan Campbell: The UK signed the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings in 2007 and ratified it in December 2008. The UKHTC are currently developing a short DVD to be distributed to police officers in all forces on the National Referral Mechanism which is a core element of the requirements of the Convention.
	All police forces in England and Wales have sent officers to the training courses devised and delivered by the United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC) and this work has been reinforced by the distribution of awareness raising material sent electronically to all police officers. The UKHTC in conjunction with the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) are also in the process of rolling out training modules on human trafficking to be included in mainstream police courses. All of this work involves an element of training specifically on the Convention.
	Forces were additionally made aware of the requirements of the convention as part of Operation Pentameter 2 which included a trial of the national referral mechanism to be introduced from 1 April 2009.

Personation

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to prevent fraud against private enterprises by persons impersonating individuals known to be dead.

Alan Campbell: Under the Police and Justice Act 2006 and the Local Electoral Administration and Registration Services (Scotland) Act 2006, the Registrars General for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland can disclose death registration information to assist in the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of offences.
	Under the Disclosure of Death Registration Information (DDRI) scheme, the supply of death registration records to vetted organisations commenced on 6 October 2008. The scheme is administered by the General Register Office for England and Wales on behalf of the three Registrars General. Six organisations are currently in receipt of a weekly supply of death registration records, and further applications to receive the data are being processed. The information is being used to prevent and detect fraudulent applications for financial gain. Early results show that pension funds, banks and mortgage companies have been using these data to check against loan and credit card applications, insurance payouts and pensions.
	The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) has for some years matched death data against passport records and identified a number of fraudulently issued passports, as well as stopping fraudulent applications made using such identities. Close liaison with law enforcement agencies in taking action against those responsible would include consideration of wider criminality, including the impact on private enterprise, particularly the financial sector.

Police Community Support Officers: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police community support officers operating in Chorley borough are  (a) funded wholly by Lancashire Police,  (b) funded in part by Chorley Borough Council and  (c) funded wholly by Chorley Borough Council.

Vernon Coaker: Information on contributions from local authorities to fund or part-fund PCSO posts is not collected centrally.

Police: Accidents

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police vehicles were involved in road accidents which resulted in  (a) slight injuries,  (b) serious injuries and  (c) fatalities in 2007-08.

Vernon Coaker: Figures available centrally show the numbers of casualties and degree of injury in road traffic collisions involving police vehicles in emergency/pursuit. Figures for 2007-08 have been provided for 38 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales. They show that there were  (a) 617 slight injuries,  (b) 20 serious injuries and  (c) one fatality.
	The data provided here are a supplementary series collected on behalf and released with the approval of Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary (HMIC). These data are normally used for inspection purposes only.

Police: Conferences

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost of policing the G20 summit to be held in London in April 2009.

Vernon Coaker: This is a matter for the chief officers of the forces concerned.

Police: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 165-66W, on police: finance, how much funding was allocated to each police force in each year from 2004-05 to 2009-10; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Allocation after floors and scaling 
			  Police authority  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Avon and Somerset 162.2 170.0 161.8 167.9 173.7 179.7 
			 Bedfordshire 62.1 65.1 64.0 66.4 68.5 70.8 
			 Cambridgeshire 73.4 77.9 73.8 76.5 78.7 81.0 
			 Cheshire 107.2 111.3 110.8 114.8 117.6 120.5 
			 Cleveland 86.8 90.9 89.8 93.0 95.3 97.7 
			 Cumbria 59.6 62.1 61.8 64.0 65.6 67.2 
			 Derbyshire 101.2 105.0 102.0 105.8 109.2 112.6 
			 Devon and Cornwall 166.7 173.0 171.4 177.5 181.9 186.4 
			 Dorset 63.6 66.0 60.0 62.2 63.7 65.3 
			 Durham 84.2 87.8 84.0 87.0 89.2 91.4 
			 Essex 160.9 167.0 162.6 168.5 173.0 177.9 
			 GLA—Police 1,822.0 1,927.8 1,818.3 1,883.7 1,930.0 1,978.3 
			 Gloucestershire 58.9 61.1 54.5 56.5 57.8 59.3 
			 Greater Manchester 393.2 412.5 417.4 432.7 445.6 458.9 
			 Hampshire 190.5 197.7 190.4 197.3 202.2 207.5 
			 Hertfordshire 104.8 108.8 110.4 114.4 117.7 121.1 
			 Humberside 114.6 118.9 117.8 122.0 125.1 128.4 
			 Kent 182.6 189.5 176.2 182.6 187.2 192.1 
			 Lancashire 182.9 190.8 187.0 193.7 198.8 204.1 
			 Leicestershire 102.0 107.7 107.5 111.5 114.7 118.0 
			 Lincolnshire 60.6 63.4 58.3 60.5 62.3 64.3 
			 Merseyside 248.4 257.7 245.0 253.8 260.6 267.4 
			 Norfolk 82.2 85.9 80.5 83.4 85.4 87.6 
			 North Yorkshire 72.7 75.4 70.5 73.0 74.8 76.7 
			 Northamptonshire 64.3 67.8 69.2 71.7 73.5 75.5 
			 Northumbria 221.4 232.2 229.7 238.0 243.8 249.9 
			 Nottinghamshire 127.6 133.3 127.8 132.5 136.9 141.4 
			 South Yorkshire 178.0 185.7 187.5 194.3 199.1 204.1 
			 Staffordshire 109.2 113.3 110.3 114.3 117.4 120.6 
			 Suffolk 66.0 68.5 65.2 67.6 69.2 71.0 
			 Surrey 88.2 91.5 93.6 97.0 99.3 101.8 
			 Sussex 158.1 164.0 156.1 161.7 165.7 169.8 
			 Thames Valley 212.6 220.6 217.9 225.9 231.9 238.2 
			 Warwickshire 49.8 51.8 49.7 51.5 52.8 54.1 
			 West Mercia 107.7 111.8 112.0 116.0 118.9 121.8 
			 West Midlands 399.3 426.5 433.6 450.2 468.0 486.1 
			 West Yorkshire 298.9 313.6 306.2 317.6 328.2 339.2 
			 Wiltshire 60.6 62.9 59.9 62.0 63.6 65.2 
			  Notes: 1. All figures are rounded to the nearest £100,000. Grant as calculated under the Local Government Finance Report (England). This includes the Metropolitan Special Payment, and the effect of floors and scaling. 2. From 2006-07 funding for pensions and security funding became specific grants, and no longer part of general grant. 3. Figures for the City of London are excluded because these are allocated to the Common Council of the City of London as a whole in respect of all its functions. The city is grouped with education authorities for floors and scaling purposes.

Police: Firearms

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many claims have been made against her Department for being dilatory in paying compensation under the compensation schemes under the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 to a person who has surrendered firearms and ammunition to police following the introduction of the prohibition on the possession, manufacture and sale of weapons under the Act.

Alan Campbell: One ex gratia payment was made in respect of a particularly complex claim where certain payments could have been made earlier.

Police: Firearms

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) weapons and  (b) items of ancillary equipment handed into police forces following the entering into force of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 remain in the possession of police forces.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office has issued disposal notices in respect of all but 92 of the 72,000 claims received. It is for individual chief officers to keep records of such items still in their possession.

Police: Firearms

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many owners of weapons and items of ancillary equipment handed into police forces following the entering into force of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 have not received payment under the compensation schemes introduced under the Act.

Alan Campbell: Payments have been offered to all claimants in accordance with the terms of the schemes.

Police: Firearms

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests to police forces have been  (a) made and  (b) granted for the return of items deemed to be ineligible for compensation under the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 compensation schemes.

Alan Campbell: The information requested is not held centrally.

Police: Firearms

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her most recent estimate is of the residual liability to the public purse for payments under the compensation schemes introduced under the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997.

Alan Campbell: It is not possible to estimate any residual liability since some claimants may wish to resurrect issues of concern. However, we believe that claimants have all been paid in accordance with the schemes.

Prosecutions: Greater London

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of serious crimes reported to the police led to prosecutions in each London borough in the last 12 months.

Alan Campbell: Information is not available in the form requested. The Home Office collects statistics on the number of offences recorded by the police and the method of detection where appropriate. One of the methods of detection is 'charge/summons' but there is no way of establishing how many recorded offences actually led to a prosecution. Data specifically on defendants proceeded against are collected by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform in the Ministry of Justice.

Prostitution

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will commission research on the primary reasons for an individual to start working as a prostitute.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office consultation, Paying the Price, which was published in 2004 and informed the Co-ordinated Prostitution Strategy considered the issue of routes into prostitution. It drew on an extensive range of existing research which considered the reasons for persons' involvement in prostitution.

Prostitution: Local Government

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms are in place to monitor local authority provision of services to individuals who work as prostitutes.

Alan Campbell: No such mechanisms exist.

Sex Establishments: Licensing

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure that the frequency exemption contained in lap dancing licensing reforms is removed.

Alan Campbell: Clause 25 of the Policing and Crime Bill will require all venues that wish to offer lap dancing on a monthly basis or more frequently to hold a sex encounter venue licence. The Government believe that this would capture venues offering lap dancing events on a regular basis and therefore as part of their core business. However, in response to concerns raised during the committee stage in the House of Commons, the Government have agreed to look into these issues further and are currently considering whether any amendments are required.

Speed Limits: Fines

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers were fined for speeding in each police force area in 2008; and how much was paid in fines for such offences.

Alan Campbell: The number of magistrates courts imposed fines for speed limit offences by police force area in England and Wales for 2007 are given in the following table. Court proceedings data for 2008 are scheduled to be published in the autumn of 2009.
	It is not possible to identify separately the payment rate of fines arising from speeding offences. The latest enforcement rate for all financial penalties imposed by the courts is 85 per cent for the period April-December 2008.
	In addition to court fines, police officers have the power to issue fixed penalty notices under section 54 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 for speeding offences. The decision as to whether to issue a fixed penalty notice is a matter for the police. Currently the amount payable for a fixed penalty notice for speeding is £60.
	Information on the number of fixed penalty notices issued in 2006 (latest available) broken down by police force area is provided in table 2. Data for 2007 are scheduled to be published in April 2009 with 2008 data to be announced.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of magistrates courts imposed fines( 1 ) for speed limit offences( 2)  by police force area, England and Wales, 2007( 3, 4) 
			  Police force area  Number of fines( 1) 
			 Avon and Somerset 5,761 
			 Bedfordshire 4,238 
			 Cambridgeshire 4,181 
			 Cheshire 3,136 
			 Cleveland 1,194 
			 Cumbria 2,470 
			 Derbyshire 2,846 
			 Devon and Cornwall 3,940 
			 Dorset 2,340 
			 Durham 650 
			 Essex 7,247 
			 Gloucestershire 1,111 
			 Greater Manchester 4,521 
			 Hampshire 4,789 
			 Hertfordshire 2,525 
			 Humberside 2,182 
			 Kent 3,181 
			 Lancashire 7,463 
			 Leicestershire 1,802 
			 Lincolnshire 3,800 
			 London, City of 460 
			 Merseyside 3,010 
			 Metropolitan police 5,882 
			 Norfolk 2,669 
			 Northamptonshire 2,919 
			 Northumbria 3,570 
			 North Yorkshire 2,004 
			 Nottinghamshire 3,387 
			 South Yorkshire 4,167 
			 Staffordshire 4,540 
			 Suffolk 3,401 
			 Surrey 3,514 
			 Sussex 3,965 
			 Thames Valley 5,883 
			 Warwickshire 1,340 
			 West Mercia 2,651 
			 West Midlands 4,652 
			 West Yorkshire 5,638 
			 Wiltshire 5,005 
			 Dyfed Powys 945 
			 Gwent 1,125 
			 North Wales 4,345 
			 South Wales 2,394 
			 Total England and Wales 146,843 
			 (1) Magistrates courts data only. Fines given at the Crown court total nationally (England and Wales) less than 10 each year. (2) Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 ss. 16, 81, 84, 86, 88 & 89; Motor Vehicles (Speed Limit on Motorways) Regs. 1973; Parks Regulation (Amendment) Act 1926 - byelaws made thereunder. (3) It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis unit. [Ref; IOS 98-09] 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Fixed penalty notices issued( 1)  for speed limit offences( 2)  by police force area, England and Wales 2006 
			  Police force area  Number 
			 Avon and Somerset 52,606 
			 Bedfordshire 48,407 
			 Cambridgeshire 20,502 
			 Cheshire 28,570 
			 Cleveland 19,044 
			 Cumbria 32,023 
			 Derbyshire 31,484 
			 Devon and Cornwall 42,467 
			 Dorset 51,599 
			 Durham 2,817 
			 Essex 60,705 
			 Gloucestershire 13,406 
			 Greater Manchester 60,282 
			 Hampshire 49,404 
			 Hertfordshire 81,805 
			 Humberside 36,718 
			 Kent 47,179 
			 Lancashire 57,658 
			 Leicestershire 24,605 
			 Lincolnshire 25,750 
			 London, City of 5,089 
			 Merseyside 33,049 
			 Metropolitan 102,482 
			 Norfolk 24,985 
			 North Yorkshire 42,242 
			 Northamptonshire 51,880 
			 Northumbria 5,256 
			 Nottinghamshire 42,916 
			 South Yorkshire 51,462 
			 Staffordshire 50,823 
			 Suffolk 34,442 
			 Surrey 39,520 
			 Sussex 48,627 
			 Thames Valley 137,312 
			 Warwickshire 30,316 
			 West Mercia 46,213 
			 West Midlands 44,497 
			 West Yorkshire 49,528 
			 Wiltshire 51,458 
			 Dyfed Powys 1,054 
			 Gwent 531 
			 North Wales 59,491 
			 South Wales 33,208 
			 England and Wales 1,773,412 
			 (1) Only covers notices paid where there is no further action. (2) Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and the Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1973. (3) Revised since original publication.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Treaty of Lisbon

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Metropolitan Police have informed her of accusations of malfeasance they have received about the Lisbon Treaty ratification against  (a) the Prime Minister and  (b) other members of the Cabinet; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Secretary of State for the Home Department has not been informed by the Metropolitan Police Service of any such accusations of malfeasance in relation to the ratification of the Lisbon treaty.
	The UK ratified the Lisbon treaty on 16 July 2008, following Royal Assent to the EU (Amendment) Act, which was received on 19 June 2008. The Act was passed after 25 days of detailed consideration in both Houses.

War Crimes

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance she has issued to police forces on steps to be taken following an arrest of a person suspected to be guilty of an offence related to the violation of the laws or customs of war; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Guidance on this issue is a matter for the Metropolitan Police Service and the Counter Terrorism Division of the Crown Prosecution Service. They have an agreed national protocol in place for the handling of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Subsidies

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what additional funding will be made available through the EU's economic recovery plan to rural development, with particular reference to training in environmental improvement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: As part of the proposed European Economic Recovery Plan, the Commission is proposing a €1.25 billion package of measures to be delivered through Member States' Rural Development Programmes, of which €1 billion will be dedicated to rural broadband infrastructure projects and €250 million to projects in support of the 'new challenges' agreed as part of the recent CAP Health Check (climate change, renewable energy, water management, biodiversity and dairy sector restructuring). No agreement has yet been reached in the Council of Ministers on this package. The Commission is proposing that this funding should be allocated in proportion to existing shares of rural development funding. The United Kingdom would therefore receive around €15 million in total. No decisions have yet been made on how this funding might be used, if the package is agreed.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) cattle infected by bovine tuberculosis and  (b) calves born to cows infected by bovine tuberculosis have been slaughtered in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and how much was paid in compensation to their owners.

Jane Kennedy: The following table shows the number of cattle slaughtered under bovine tuberculosis (TB) control measures either as test reactors or direct contacts, and the amount of compensation paid, in England, in the last 10 years.
	Data on the number of calves slaughtered because they were born to cows affected by TB is not centrally collated in electronic format and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   Number of cattle slaughtered( 1)  Compensation paid( 2)  (£ million) 
			 2007 19,794 15.2 
			 2006 16,007 18.1 
			 2005 23,135 32.1 
			 2004 17,306 23.1 
			 2003 17,551 25.2 
			 2002 18,443 20.8 
			 2001 4,438 4.6 
			 2000 7,190 5.7 
			 1999 5,580 3.2 
			 1998 5,027 3.6 
			 (1) Data regarding the number of cattle slaughtered as test reactors or direct contacts are taken from the Animal Health Database (Vetnet). Data for 2006-07 are provisional and subject to change as more data become available and as a result of data validation and cleansing. (2) Compensation includes payments to farmers for 'reactors' and 'direct contact' animals which are compulsorily slaughtered. For 1999 onwards these data have been taken from the DEFRA Oracle Financial System. 1998 data are drawn from the 1998 report of the Chief Veterinary Officer and are not directly comparable to later years.

Departmental Data Protection

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make it his policy for his Department to sign the Information Commissioner's Personal Information Promise.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Government welcome the promise as a commendable initiative to raise awareness of the importance of effective data protection safeguards, particularly for those organisations with no similar commitments already in place.
	The Government take data protection very seriously. Following the Cabinet Office review of data handling procedures in Government, departments have implemented a raft of measures to improve data security.
	The Ministry of Justice is considering actively with the ICO how the promise might add additional value to those measures we have already signed up to. These include the information charters, the recommendations of the data handling review and the Thomas/Walport review and, of course, our legal obligations under the Data Protection Act and other legislation and regulations.

Departmental Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff in his Department or its predecessors were on sick leave for  (a) over 30 days,  (b) over 50 days and  (c) over 100 days in each of the last five years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The information requested for the core Department is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of staff 
			  Total working days absent in year  2006  2007  2008 
			 30-49 80 81 50 
			 50-99 72 66 41 
			 100 plus 48 25 29 
		
	
	Information for the Executive agencies and for earlier years could be provided only by incurring disproportionate cost.
	DEFRA has a policy to promote health and wellbeing and reduce sickness absence for its employees. It manages long term sickness absences by facilitating timely employee access to occupational health advice, medical or wellbeing interventions. Individuals are also encouraged to return to work through the use of occupational health expertise that enables them to undertake a structured programme of recuperative duties. This helps employees return to full working hours and duties as quickly as possible.

Departmental Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff in his Department were recorded as having been on sick leave for over 12 months on 31 December in each of the last five years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The information requested for the core Department is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2006 1 
			 2007 4 
			 2008 2 
		
	
	Information for the Executive agencies and for earlier years could be provided only by incurring disproportionate cost.
	DEFRA's strategy for managing employee sickness absence over 12 months is to ensure that individuals receive necessary occupational health interventions. Their managers also receive timely medical and human resources advice and information. Employees are further supported in returning to work by undertaking a structured programme of recuperative duties, agreed with their manager and the occupational health service. This helps them return to full working hours and duties as quickly as possible.

Drinking Water

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of litres of bottled  (a) sparkling and  (b) still water consumed in England in each year since 2000; and what percentage was supplied in bottles made of (i) plastic, (ii) glass and (iii) other materials.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The following table shows the estimated number of litres of mineral water purchased in the UK in each year since 2001.
	
		
			   Total UK purchases of mineral water (Million litres) 
			  April to March each year  
			 2001-02 747 
			 2002-03 794 
			 2003-04 876 
			 2004-05 950 
			 2005-06 964 
			   
			  Calendar year  
			 2006 1,103 
			 2007 995 
			  Source: Expenditure and Food Survey. 
		
	
	From 2006, the Expenditure and Food Survey switched to a calendar year basis. It is not possible to resample earlier data on the same basis. It is also not possible to account accurately for wastage during consumption. DEFRA has no compatible population figures on which to calculate purchases on a national basis, therefore it is not possible to provide similar estimates for purchases in England. However, the following table shows the estimated average number of litres of mineral water purchased per person in England in each year since 2001.
	
		
			   Purchases of mineral water per person/year in litres in England 
			  April to March each year  
			 2001-02 13 
			 2002-03 13 
			 2003-04 15 
			 2004-05 16 
			 2005-06 16 
			   
			  Calendar year  
			 2006 19 
			 2007 17 
			  Source: Expenditure and Food Survey. 
		
	
	DEFRA does not collect statistics which distinguish between sparkling and still water or the way water is packaged.

Entry Level Stewardship Scheme

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to introduce new cross-compliance measures into the entry level stewardship agreement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Compliance with single payment scheme cross compliance requirements has been a requirement for environmental stewardship agreements entered into from January 2007. Cross compliance changes, to be introduced in January 2010 as a result of the recent CAP health check agreement, will apply to these environmental stewardship agreements. A public consultation on the health check changes will be launched later this year.

Environment Protection

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received on the cost of implementation of those provisions of the Stockholm Convention relating to environmental protection.

Huw Irranca-Davies: We have received no recent representations on the cost of implementation of those provisions of the Stockholm Convention relating to environmental protection.

Farmers' Markets: Finance

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding is available under the England Rural Development Programme to support the establishment of farmers' markets in 2008-09.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Under axis 1 of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) funding is available for opening new marketing opportunities for agricultural and forestry products, putting the emphasis on quality. Under axis 3 of the RDPE, funding is available for the promotion of tourism activities linked to quality regional and local food culture. It is for each region to determine whether the establishment of farmers' markets is a priority for them.

Fisheries

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will meet representatives of the small and under-10 metre fishing fleet from the Thames Estuary and East Anglia Coast to discuss his Department's policy on inshore fishing.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Following the December announcement on a package of measures designed to bring short-term stability to the English inshore fleet, a project—Sustainable Access to Inshore Fisheries (SAIF)—is now under way in DEFRA to develop a strategy for the fleet's long-term sustainability. Through the SAIF project, DEFRA officials and I will engage with a wide range of industry and community representatives over the next few months. We intend to arrange a series of meetings around the coast, and I would be pleased to include the Thames estuary and East Anglian coast as areas for inclusion in the meeting schedule.

Royal Botanic Gardens Kew: Fees and Charges

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the retail prices for  (a) entry and  (b) guided tours have been reduced at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew as a result of the December 2008 reduction in value added tax.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew reviews its prices regularly, using other, similar visitor attractions as a benchmark. Initial plans to raise entry prices by 50 pence for this year have now been deferred, with prices held instead at 2008 levels. This is to reflect the recent reduction in value added tax.
	Guided tours at the Royal Botanic Gardens are either free of charge or specifically priced to meet individual customer requirements.

Sewers: Fats

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if his Department will introduce measures to require commercial hot food premises to have a grease control system to prevent the entry of fats, oils and greases into the sewerage system;
	(2)  what steps his Department and its associated public bodies are taking to prevent the discharge of fats, oils and greases into the sewerage system from commercial hot food premises; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of local voluntary schemes for installing control measures in commercial hot food premises as a means of preventing the discharge of fats, oils and greases into the sewerage system.

Iain Wright: I have been asked to reply.
	There is a general requirement in building regulations, and more generally other public health legislation, that drains should be constructed in such a way as to minimise the risk of blockage. Grease from hot food premises is acknowledged as a significant cause of drain blockages. Drainage is dealt with in part H of the Building Regulations and when the guidance was comprehensively revised in 2002 additional guidance was added about the provision of grease control measures to hot food premises. Where drains malfunction, building legislation provides local authorise with enforcement powers to ensure that the problem is remedied.
	In order to test the effectiveness of the above measure my department was party to a joint research project with the water industry. The outcome of this research has enabled water companies and local authorities to be more confident in their enforcement measures and has enabled some pilot projects to deal with some particularly troublesome cases and bring them to a satisfactory conclusion.

Welsh Language

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many members of staff at each grade in his Department identify themselves as Welsh speakers.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 23 February 2009
	 DEFRA does not monitor the number of staff at each grade in the Department who identify themselves as Welsh speakers. DEFRA does however provide a Welsh language service for our customers through our customer call centres and through our telephone helplines.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Art Works

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 54W, on departmental art works, what the  (a) title,  (b) artist and  (c) Government Art Collection reference number is of each Government Art Collection item reported as stolen in each year since 1997-98.

Barbara Follett: The following Government art collection works have been stolen since 1997-98:
	
		
			  Title  Artist  Last known location  Government art collection reference number 
			 Lake Landscape George Arnald Ambassador's temporary Residence, Buenos Aires, between 23 and 30 August 2001, presumed stolen. GAC7462 
			 St. James's Park and Banqueting House Anthony Highmore Ambassador's temporary Residence, Buenos Aires, between 23 and 30 August 2001, presumed stolen GAC7963 
			 Sir Woodbine Parish (1796-1882) after Thomas Phillips Ambassador's temporary Residence, Buenos Aires, between 23 and 30 August 2001, presumed stolen. GAC1328 
			 Offering to Jupiter Michele Rocca Ambassador's temporary Residence, Buenos Aires, between 23 and 30 August 2001, presumed stolen. GAC2298 
			 Landscape Edward Williams Ambassador's temporary Residence, Buenos Aires, between 23 and 30 August 2001, presumed stolen. GAC2703 
			 Sir William Chambers Francis Cotes Stolen from the Somerset House Trust, Somerset House, London, in February 2008 and recovered by the police in September 2008. GAC0/252 
			 Shipping 1821 J.T. Serres Stolen from the Somerset House Trust, Somerset House, London, in February 2008 and recovered by the police in September 2008. GAC3158

Departmental Public Bodies

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2008,  Official Report, column 880W, on Departmental non-departmental public bodies, how many times bodies for which his Department is responsible asked  (a) his Department and  (b) the Treasury to approve (i) capital projects of £6 million and above, (ii) gifts and non-statutory contingent liabilities of £100,000 and above, (iii) spending which exceeded limits set out in the relevant financial memoranda and (iv) spending which could have potentially set an expensive precedent, caused repercussions for others or which was novel or contentious in each of the last three years.

Andy Burnham: A survey of the last three financial years to date has indicated that my Department's non-departmental public bodies made the following requests, which are set out in the following tables. This may not be a complete list, however further information can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  (a) Requests for which DCMS approval is required 
			   Spending which exceeded limits set out in the relevant financial memoranda 
			 2006-07 3 
			 2007-08 2 
			 2008-09 (to date) 5 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Requests for which HM Treasury approval is required 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09( 1) 
			 Capital projects of £6 million and above 5 5 4 
			 Spending which exceeded limits set out in the relevant financial memoranda 0 0 1 
			 Gifts and non-statutory contingent liabilities of £100,000 and above 0 0 0 
			 Spending which could have potentially set an expensive precedent, caused repercussions for others or which was novel and contentious 21 12 24 
			 (1) To date.

Economic Situation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what  (a) summits,  (b) conferences and  (c) seminars his Department has hosted since January 2008 at which a primary subject of discussion was the effect of the economic situation on matters within his Department's responsibility.

Andy Burnham: The Department has held regular internal discussions on responding to the economic situation, including discussions with its Advisory Board. The Department is also working closely with its sponsored bodies to help our sectors continue to function effectively and manage the risks which the present economic situation presents.
	Recent external meetings on this issue included a tourism summit in Liverpool on 9 January 2009 convened by VisitBritain, which considered ways to help support the tourism industry through the downturn and beyond. The Creative Economy Programme Ministerial Steering Board received a presentation by Will Hutton in December on the impact of the economic downturn on the Creative Economy.

OLYMPICS

Departmental Correspondence

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what her Office's average response time to a letter received from  (a) an hon. Member and  (b) a member of the public was in each year since its establishment.

Tessa Jowell: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members correspondence. The report for 2007 was published on 20 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 71-74WS. Information for 2008 is currently being collated and will be published as soon as it is ready. Reports for earlier years are available in the Library of the House. General correspondence to the Minister for the Olympics on Olympic issues is responded to by officials at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport aims to respond to letters from the public within 20 working days of receipt. Statistics on the percentage responded to within this target are available in the Department's annual reports. I am informed that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport could provide information on average response times to letters from the public only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much has been spent by her Office on staff reward and recognition schemes in each year since its inception.

Tessa Jowell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office the hon. Member for West Bromwich, East (Mr. Watson) to him on 24 February 2009,  Official Report, column 578W.

Departmental Recruitment

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much  (a) her Office and  (b) the Olympic Delivery Authority has spent on recruitment agencies in each of the last three years.

Tessa Jowell: In each of the last three financial years, Government Olympic Executive (GOE) has spent the following on recruitment agencies. This has supported the recruitment of six senior managers, including the director general and the director of build and finance:
	
		
			   £ 
			 April 2008-20 January 2009 55,787.83 
			 April 2007-March 2008 63,728.67 
			 April 2006-March 2007 119,618.64 
		
	
	 Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA)
	The ODA's spend on recruitment reflects the requirement to recruit quickly at all levels to a newly established organisation while maintaining the delivery programme for the venues and infrastructure for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympics Games. In each of the last three financial years, the ODA has spent the following on recruitment agencies, for the recruitment of 220 personnel at all levels of the organisation:
	
		
			   £ 
			 April 2008-December 2008 194,366.22 
			 April 2007-March 2008 825,714.62 
			 April 2006-March 2007 892,447.98

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on estimates by the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Fund for Population Activities on the number of people who died as a result of illegal abortions in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
	In 2007 the World Health Organisation (WHO) published estimates, on behalf of all UN agencies, of the incidence of unsafe abortion and associated deaths for the year 2003. This report which includes detailed information on the methodology used in calculating estimates can be found on the WHO website:
	http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/unsafe abortion/
	Given the clandestine nature of abortion in many settings and the difficulties in collecting data, it is likely that the true levels of unsafe abortion and related mortality are higher than estimated.
	Worldwide an estimated 19-20 million unsafe abortions are estimated to occur each year. Millions of women and girls suffer complications following unsafe abortion and around 67,000 die as a result of these complications. Most of these abortions, complications and deaths could be prevented if people who wished to had access to family planning and if abortion services had been legally available and affordable everywhere. Progress to achieve Millennium Development Goal number five, Improve Maternal Health, cannot be made unless we are prepared to do something to reduce the death and disability caused by unsafe abortion.

Afghanistan: Drugs

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress has been made towards the eradication of poppy growing in Afghanistan.

Bill Rammell: The Afghan Government's poppy eradication campaign was launched on 5 February 2008 in Helmand province through the deployment of the poppy eradication force, followed by Governor-led eradication, which started on 15 February 2008.
	So far 2,000 hectares of poppy has been destroyed, which represents good progress.
	Eradication forms a key pillar of the Helmand food zone programme, led by Governor Mangal, whereby farmers have been informed that poppy grown within this area should be eradicated. Governor-led eradication efforts have commenced elsewhere and will continue until July 2009. However it is too early to predict what the final national eradication figure will be.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what UK armed forces are currently based in  (a) Belize,  (b) the British Indian Ocean Territory and  (c) Ascension Island.

Bob Ainsworth: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of armed forces personnel in each location, rounded to the nearest five, is as follows:
	
		
			  Location  Number 
			 Belize 60 
			 British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) 40 
			 Ascension Island 15

Binyam Mohamed

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has had discussions with the government of Ethiopia on the return of Mr Binyam Mohamed to that country.

Bill Rammell: We have kept the Government of Ethiopia informed of the progress of Mr. Binyam Mohamed's release and return to the UK but we have not made representations on his transfer to Ethiopia. Our goal has been to contribute to US Government efforts to close Guantanamo Bay by securing the release and return to the UK of those who were legal residents in the UK prior to their detention. Mr. Binyam Mohamed's return does not constitute a commitment by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary that he may remain permanently in the UK.

Birtukan Mideksa

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has made representations to the government of Ethiopia on the detention of Birtukan Mideksa; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: We have raised the detention of Birtukan Midekssa with the Ethiopian authorities on a number of occasions since her arrest on 29 December 2008. On 2 February 2009 my noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. the Lord Malloch-Brown did so with the Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, pointing out the potential damage to Ethiopia's image of imprisoning an opposition leader politician.
	We will continue to urge the Ethiopian government to resolve this issue quickly.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Diplomatic Service

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications of the decision by Miroslav Lajcak, High Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina, to step down from that post; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The international community will need now to find a credible successor to Miroslav Lajcak who can continue to assist Bosnia and Herzegovina in moving away from ethnic divisions towards a better future for all its citizens.
	A decision on this appointment is expected later this month.
	Eventual closure of the Office of the High Representative will remain dependent on the fulfilment of the conditions set by the Peace Implementation Council, namely the so-called five objectives and two conditions. The Peace Implementation Council will meet again on 25-26 March 2009 to consider progress against those conditions.

Brussels: Visits Abroad

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times he has visited Brussels on official business in the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has visited Brussels 17 times on official business in the last 12 months.

Colombia: Drugs

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of allegations of links between Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and drug traffickers.

Gillian Merron: holding answer of 2 March 2009
	 No reports have been received to support any such allegations.

Colombia: Drugs

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what mechanisms are in place to ensure that counter-narcotics assistance provided by the Government to the Colombian security forces is not used for counter-insurgency purposes.

Gillian Merron: holding answer of 2 March 2009
	 We scrupulously monitor all UK engagement with the government of Colombia on counter-narcotics. Our work continues to meet the highest standards of probity and effectiveness. We do not provide any counter-insurgency assistance.
	We fully endorse the efforts of the Government of Colombia to legitimately tackle the influence of illegal, criminal and terrorist groups in a manner consistent with international humanitarian law.

Departmental Foreign Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) EU foreign nationals and  (b) non-EU foreign nationals are employed by his Department.

Caroline Flint: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and FCO Services employ only UK nationals in permanent civil service positions (of which there are currently 5,935) in the UK or overseas.
	Our missions overseas employ a total of approximately 10,000 locally-recruited staff of various nationalities, both EU and non-EU. We do not hold records centrally of the nationalities of these staff.

Departmental Plants

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on  (a) pot plants and  (b) flowers in each of the last three years.

Gillian Merron: Spending on plants and flowers in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) UK estate in the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			  Plants  £ 
			 February 2008 to January 2009 — (includes replacement of large external plants in the Old Admiralty Building, London) 5,343.13 
			 February 2007 to January 2008 — (includes replacement of deteriorated wooden plant boxes in Carlton Gardens) 4,114.00 
			 February 2006 to January 2007 1,599.00 
		
	
	
		
			  Flowers( 1)  £ 
			 February 2008 to January 2009 27,750.15 
			 February 2007 to January 2008 34,285.00 
			 February 2006 to January 2007 32,962.63 
			 (1) Spending on flowers includes that incurred by Government Hospitality, part of the Protocol Directorate in the FCO. Government Hospitality have responsibility for the organisation of official ministerial hospitality for all Government Departments. 
		
	
	Information on how much is spent on plants and flowers at the FCO's overseas posts is not held centrally and would incur a disproportionate cost to collate.

Departmental Work Experience

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what opportunities for work experience directorates of his Department offer to university students who are not  (a) entitled to a full maintenance grant and  (b) eligible for work experience schemes offered to those from a minority ethnic background.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) offers an Undergraduate Placement Scheme to all UK university undergraduate students who are not in their final year at university and who fulfil the minimum nationality and residency eligibility criteria.
	The FCO also participates in the Cabinet Office run Summer Placement Scheme. This is a work placement scheme for undergraduates/graduates who have a registered disability in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
	More information on the Undergraduate Placement Scheme can be found at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-the-fco/working-for-us/work-experience/undergraduate
	More information on the Summer Placement Scheme can be found at:
	http://diversity.faststream.gov.uk/index.asp?txtNavID=133

Family Planning

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports his Department has received on coercive family planning policies in other countries; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) does not hold records on reports of coercive family planning overseas.
	The UK government's policy on population and sexual and reproductive health in the developing world is about providing choice, not coercion. Couples and individuals should be able to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children, and have access to the information and services to be able to do so. DFID actively works to promote and uphold the principles of free and informed choice as set out in at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994.

Foreign Students

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what research his Department conducted on likely levels of demand for its Partner University Placement Scheme among eligible groups prior to the scheme's inception.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office used a Higher Education Standards Agency report to identify 10 universities that performed highest across three key standards: academic performance, social inclusion and ethnic diversity. We did not conduct specific research among the eligible groups into the likely levels of demand for the scheme.

Foreign Students

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department's Partner University Placement Scheme was established; and how many students have taken part in the scheme.

Gillian Merron: The Partner University Placement Scheme was established in 2007. 21 students have taken part in the scheme to date.

Foreign Students

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the eligibility criteria for students wishing to take part in his Department's Partner University Placement Scheme are.

Gillian Merron: The eligibility criteria for the Partner University Placement Scheme are that students must be:
	either
	from a minority ethnic background
	or
	in receipt of a full university maintenance grant (or Scottish equivalent).
	and
	from Bath, Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Oxford, King's College London, University College London or Manchester Universities,
	in their penultimate or final year of university,
	be 16 years or over at the time of applying,
	be a British citizen,
	have been resident in the UK for two out of the last 10 years immediately prior to their application, at least one year of which must have been a consecutive 12-month period, unless they have served overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of our Government, or have lived overseas a result of their parents' or partner's Government employment.

Group of Twenty: London Summit

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate has been made of the cost of accommodation for  (a) foreign heads of state and government and  (b) foreign delegations attending the G20 summit to be held in London in April 2009.

Bill Rammell: Participating countries are responsible for their own accommodation costs. There will be no cost to the Government.

Group of Twenty: London Summit

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library copies of proposed menus for meals to be provided to participants in the G20 summit in London in April 2009.

Bill Rammell: The planning for the London summit in April 2009 is still being formulated. Any hospitality offered by the Government during the summit will be commensurate with the nature of the occasion. As such menus for the hospitality around the London summit will be published, in accordance with normal practice, after the event.

Iran: Christianity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of  (a) closures of churches in Iran and  (b) the treatment of Christians in that country; what recent representations he has made to the Government of Iran on the matter; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We have not received recent reports regarding the closure of churches in Iran, but we do have serious concerns about the treatment of Christians, in particular those who have converted from Islam to Christianity. We regularly raise these concerns with the Iranian authorities, both bilaterally and through the EU. We made over 40 representations in 2008, expressing our firm opposition to all forms of discrimination and oppression. We continue to urge Iran to respect and protect its religious minorities and free all prisoners held due to their faith or religious practice.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with his Turkish counterpart on Gaza since the last meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Caroline Flint: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed Gaza with his Turkish counterpart since the World Economic Forum in Davos. However, this remains an issue of ongoing concern and we would expect to engage with Turkey when the opportunity arises.
	I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2008W.

Pakistan: Christianity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of  (a) closures of churches in Pakistan and  (b) the treatment of Christians in that country; what recent representations he has made to the government of Pakistan on the matter; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We have not received reports of closures of churches in Pakistan. Our officials in London and in Islamabad regularly meet with representatives of civil society and human rights organisations to monitor the treatment of minorities and inform our policy more widely. During these discussions, the closure of churches in Pakistan has not been raised as a concern.
	With our EU partners, we regularly raise our concerns over the situation of christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan. We have called for the government of Pakistan to promote tolerance, take measures to protect freedom of religion or belief and repeal or reform discriminatory blasphemy legislation.
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers have also met with organisations representing minority groups in Pakistan and have raised human rights concerns with the Government of Pakistan.

Roy Bennett

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to seek the release of Roy Bennett, designated Deputy Minister of Agriculture on the National Unity Government of Zimbabwe to  (a) the government of Zimbabwe,  (b) other states in the region and  (c) international organisations; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary in his statement of 11 February 2009 called for the immediate release of all political detainees. Our officials made clear to the Zimbabwean embassy in London our concerns about detainees on 16 February 2009 including Roy Bennett.
	The Southern African Development Community (SADC) brokered the power-sharing agreement, and has responsibility for supporting its implementation. We will continue to work closely with SADC, EU partners and the international community to capitalise on this opportunity to promote reform and human rights in Zimbabwe.
	The statement made by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 11 February 2009 is available for viewing at the following internet address:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom/latest-news/?view= PressS&id=13462857

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of the Sri Lankan government on  (a) the prevention of civilian casualties and  (b) protection for displaced people in Sri Lanka.

Bill Rammell: When my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary telephoned President Rajapakse on 30 January 2009, they discussed the humanitarian situation. He made clear our concerns over the civilians caught up in the fighting in northern Sri Lanka.
	In a statement on 2 February 2009, which is available for viewing on the internet at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom/latest-news/?view= PressS&id=13166258,
	he urged both the Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers Tamil of Eelam to respond appropriately to the deteriorating humanitarian situation, in particular by allowing the wounded to receive medical treatment; civilians to leave the conflict area; and unrestricted access for humanitarian agencies.
	We continue to raise these issues with the Sri Lankan Government at the highest level.

Sri Lanka: Religious Freedom

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Sri Lankan government on the provisions of the Prohibition of Forcible Conversions Bill restricting religious conversions.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 9 February 2009
	 We have expressed our concern over religious freedoms to the Sri Lankan Minister of Human Rights and Disaster Management through our high commission in Colombo.
	We will continue to raise our concerns over the Prohibition of Forcible Conversions Bill and any other legislation that reduces freedoms protected by international human rights law with the Sri Lankan Government.

Sri Lanka: Religious Freedom

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of the Sri Lankan government on freedom of religious expression in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Our high commission in Colombo recently expressed our concerns over religious freedoms to the Sri Lankan Minister of Human Rights and Disaster Management.
	In addition, in a statement on 23 February 2009, the EU expressed its concern about a draft Bill relating to religious freedoms, which is currently awaiting further discussion in the Sri Lankan Parliament. We will continue to raise our concerns with the Sri Lankan Government about any legislation that reduces freedoms protected by international human rights law.

Terrorism: Finance

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the Prime Minister's Statement of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 667-72, on national security, what the breakdown is of the £400 million to be spent to tackle radicalisation and promote understanding overseas in each of the next three years by each Government department involved; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The actual figure invested through Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), British Council and the Department for International Development (DFID) to tackle radicalisation and promote understanding overseas during the period 2008-11 is approximately £386 million.
	Working with partner Departments, the FCO leads on co-ordinating HMG PREVENT activity overseas, including prioritisation of funding against agreed objectives. The individual Departments' contributions over the three year period are approximately:
	FCO—£80 million
	DFID—£300 million (exact sum will be determined by assessment of the underlying drivers of poverty, exclusion and radicalisation in relevant countries)
	British Council—£6 million

Tibet: Politics and Government

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held with his Chinese counterpart on the status of Tibet in the last 12 months.

Bill Rammell: Over the last 12 months, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has discussed the status of Tibet with Foreign Minister Yang on a number of occasions. The issue was discussed during the Foreign Secretary's visit to Beijing in February 2008 and again while they were in New York for the UN General Assembly in September 2008.
	The status of Tibet was also discussed when the Foreign Secretary was in China for the Asia-Europe meeting in October 2008, and most recently when the Foreign Secretary met Foreign Minister Yang in London on 1 February 2009 at the UK-China summit. During these meetings, the Foreign Secretary emphasised that the current political difficulties in Tibet can best be resolved through dialogue between the Chinese Government and the representatives of the Dalai Lama.

Turkey: Kurds

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his  (a) Turkish and  (b) Iraqi counterpart on the situation of Kurdish people in (i) Turkey and (ii) Iraq in the last 12 months.

Bill Rammell: Iraq's and in particular the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) relationship with Turkey has greatly improved over recent months and continues to progress positively. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has raised with Turkish Foreign Minister Mr. Babacan the issues faced by the Kurdish population in Turkey's south-east in the context of its fight against terrorism. We have strongly encouraged an improvement in dialogue between Turkey and the KRG authorities to reach a co-ordinated approach to address the complex socio-economic issues of Turkey's south-east region. The Turkish Government has announced a comprehensive package to address these.
	During his recent visit to Iraq and on previous meetings with the Iraqi leadership, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary also discussed the continuing efforts of reconciliation among the various communities within Iraq, including the Kurdish population. We continue to encourage both Arab and Kurdish leadership in Iraq to overcome their differences and compromise on issues of national importance.

United States: Visits Abroad

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times he has visited  (a) the United States,  (b) Paris and  (c) India on official business in the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has visited the US five times, Paris four times and India once on official business in the last 12 months.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to respond to Question 253469, tabled by the hon. Member for Hendon on 27 January 2009 for named day answer on 2 February 2009, on casualties from fighting in Sri Lanka.

Gillian Merron: Question 253497 was answered on 26 February 2009,  Official Report, column 954W.

Zimbabwe: Asylum

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to ensure the payment of pensions to former Zimbabwean public servants now residing in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: We are concerned about the non-payment of pensions by the Zimbabwean authorities, who have long been failing on their legal commitment to pay the pensions of former employees of the Southern Rhodesian Government and other Zimbabwean pensioners.
	We are aware of the severe difficulties this causes to former Zimbabwean public servants now residing in the UK and will continue to remind the Zimbabwean authorities of their legal commitment.

TREASURY

Banks

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) subsidiaries and  (b) branches each bank regulated by the Financial Services Authority has in (i) Jersey, (ii) Isle of Man, (iii) Guernsey, (iv) the Cayman Islands, (v) the Bahamas and (vi) Bermuda.

Ian Pearson: The Treasury does not collect or hold this information.

Banks: Finance

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the Dutch government on a contribution from them towards the financial assistance provided by the UK Government to  (a) ABN Amro and  (b) other Dutch banks via their parent companies in the UK.

Ian Pearson: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations and international partners. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Banks: Finance

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he plans to have with his counterparts in other governments on contributions from them towards the financial assistance provided to banks from their countries by the UK Government.

Ian Pearson: The current financial crises are global problems and require international, as well as domestic, solutions. The UK Authorities have been heavily involved in work at both EU and international level to enhance the stability and resilience of the global financial system.
	The Government will continue to work in close co-operation with international partners.

Banks: Finance

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what proportion of the capital provided from UK Government funds via UK Financial Investments Ltd to Royal Bank of Scotland has been used to provide additional capital to ABN Amro;
	(2)  what proportion of the capital provided from UK Government funds via UK Financial Investments Ltd to Lloyds HBOS has been used to provide capital to its overseas subsidiaries;
	(3)  what proportion of the capital provided from UK Government funds via UK Financial Investments Ltd to Royal Bank of Scotland has been used to provide capital to its overseas subsidiaries.

Ian Pearson: Under the recapitalisation scheme announced on 8 October 2008, the Government have invested £19.97 billion in Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc (RBS) and £16.96 billion in Lloyds TSB Group plc (Lloyds) and Halifax Bank of Scotland plc (HBOS). The recapitalisation agreements are between the Treasury and RBS, Lloyds and HBOS respectively.
	It is a matter for each group to deploy capital where needed to support their businesses.

Banks: Finance

Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much public money is invested in fossil fuel exploration, transportation and generation through UK Financial Investments' shareholdings in  (a) Royal Bank of Scotland,  (b) Lloyds TSB/Halifax Bank of Scotland,  (c) Northern Rock and  (d) Bradford and Bingley.

Ian Pearson: It is a matter for each of these companies' management to release specific business updates or provide any required disclosures in their audited annual report and accounts.
	The Government's investments are managed on a commercial basis by UK Financial Investments Ltd. (UKFI), a company which is wholly owned by the Government. Its overarching objectives are to protect and create value for the taxpayer as a shareholder, with due regard to financial stability and acting in a way that promotes competition.

Child Care Vouchers: Self-employed

Maria Miller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to encourage the use of child care vouchers by people who are self-employed.

Stephen Timms: Child care vouchers are not available to self-employed persons. Employer supported child care is reliant upon arrangements made between an employer and employee. Self employed persons can receive assistance with child care costs via the child care element of working tax credits, subject to the level of household income.

Departmental Internet

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much his Department has spent on  (a) creating and  (b) managing its YouTube channel since June 2007;
	(2)  how many civil servants in his Department at each pay band  (a) were employed in establishing its YouTube channel and  (b) are employed on managing the channel.

Angela Eagle: The YouTube channel was launched at Budget 2008 and was established and continues to be managed by the Treasury's existing e-communications team. The team consists of four officials.
	The channel was set up using the free tools provided by YouTube so there were no costs associated with creating the channel.
	The e-communications team is responsible for developing and maintaining the Treasury's public web presence, intranet and extranet.

Income Tax: Tax Allowances

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of raising income tax personal allowances to provide for those earning no more than the national minimum wage to be exempt from income tax;
	(2)  by how much the personal allowance would need to be raised to take those working for 35 hours a week on the national minimum wage out of income tax liability; and what the cost of doing so would be in 2009-10.

Stephen Timms: The current hourly rate of national minimum wage can be found on the HM Revenue and customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/nmw/
	The annual amount received by someone on the national minimum wage will depend on the weekly hours worked, and estimates of the cost of raising the income tax personal allowance to different levels can be approximated from table 1.6 'Direct effects of illustrative tax changes' on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_expenditures/table 1-6.pdf
	The figures exclude any estimate of behavioural response.

Income Tax: Tax Allowances

Stephen Byers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what increase in the personal income tax allowance would be achieved at a cost of £8.6 billion in 2009-10; and how many people would be removed from any income tax liability as a result of such an increase.

Stephen Timms: Raising the personal allowance by £1,520 to £7,995 for 2009-10 would cost around £8.6 billion and take approximately 1.7 million people out of income tax. This estimate is based on the 2005-06 Survey of Personal Incomes projected forward using pre-Budget 2008 assumptions. It refers only to income tax, not National Insurance contributions, and excludes any estimate of behavioural response.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead of 12 December 2008 on economic regulation and small businesses.

Angela Eagle: I have replied to the hon. Member.

Money Laundering

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in respect of what provisions of the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 the management and administration of is outsourced; what controls there are on companies to ensure the protection of data collected under the Regulations; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Certain businesses ("relevant persons") are regulated under the Money Laundering Regulations 2007. Those Regulations transposed the Third Money Laundering Directive into UK law. Relevant persons may, in discharging the legal requirements, source a range of services from third parties.
	Firms can, and typically do, subcontract a range of functions, buying in either expertise or access to information from specialist sources. Large retail firms also use information from consumer credit bureaux to help automate their customer identification and verification checks.
	Relevant persons may rely on certain other regulated persons to carry out customer due diligence. In all of these cases relevant persons remain legally liable for the discharge of the responsibilities placed on them under the Money Laundering Regulations 2007.
	Personal data obtained by relevant persons as a result of checks made under the Regulations are subject to the Data Protection Act, which places a number of requirements on those persons to safeguard those data. This means, for example, that businesses have to keep personal information secure, and ensure it is fairly and lawfully processed.
	Regulators (including professional bodies) will also apply a variety of other safeguards to relevant persons who they supervise for money laundering and other purposes in order to monitor compliance with these requirements and relevant guidance.

Mortgages

Lorely Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of  (a) the contribution of UK non-bank lenders to the mortgage market and  (b) the effect on levels of mortgage lending of the levels of activity of UK non-bank and specialist lenders in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what response he has made to the recommendation in the Crosby Report on mortgage finance markets for the introduction of a new guarantee scheme for residential mortgage-backed securities available to banks, building societies and specialist lenders;
	(3)  how many meetings he has had with representatives of  (a) banks,  (b) building societies and  (c) non-bank lenders to discuss measures to stimulate mortgage lending in the last three months;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of the effects of the Government's lending support initiatives on  (a) competition among banks, building societies and non-banks in the mortgage market and  (b) the availability of mortgage finance to consumers in the last 12 months;
	(5)  what steps his Department is taking to encourage a competitive and diverse market for mortgage finance;
	(6)  pursuant to the statement of 19 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 483-86, on financial markets, what recent steps his Department has taken to support lending by the non-bank sector;
	(7)  pursuant to the statement of 19 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 483-86, on financial markets, which of the lending support facilities announced will be open to non-bank lenders.

Ian Pearson: The Bank of England publishes statistics relating to lending, which are available at:
	http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/statistics/index.htm
	These statistics include data on the amount of lending by UK banks, building societies and other lenders.
	On 19 January, the Government announced measures designed to reinforce the stability of the financial system, to increase confidence and capacity to lend, and in turn to support the recovery of the economy. These build on measures announced on 8 October last year.
	This included a guarantee scheme for asset-backed securities to help improve lenders' access to wholesale funding markets. The scheme will commence in April 2009 subject to state aid approval. Further details will be announced by the Debt Management Office in due course.
	These measures have raised confidence in the banking sector and helped to stabilise financial markets. This is an essential condition for lenders to develop greater confidence to lend in the future to creditworthy businesses, home owners and consumers.
	The 2008 pre-Budget report announced that alongside its normal annual plan, the OFT will set out a specific financial services plan.
	Ministers and officials meet with a wide range of representatives from the financial services sector including banks, building societies and non-bank lenders.

Mortgages: Complaints

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints relating to  (a) mortgages and  (b) mortgage endowments the Financial Ombudsman Service received in each year since 2001; and what percentage of such complaints the Ombudsman investigated.

Ian Pearson: The Financial Ombudsman Scheme publishes an annual review, which has information on how many complaints relating to  (a) mortgages and  (b) mortgages endowments the Financial Services Ombudsman received in each year since 2001.
	It can be found at:
	http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/annual-reviews.htm

Non-domestic Rates: South West

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in each parliamentary constituency in the South West did not pay the full rateable liability for national non-domestic rates in 2008-09.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not collected by the Department.

Pensioners: Income

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to increase the household incomes of pensioners.

Ian Pearson: The Government are committed to continuing to support pensioner incomes. To provide help to pensioners on the lowest incomes, the 2008 pre-Budget report announced an above indexation increase to the standard minimum income guarantee in pension credit in April 2009. This means no single pensioner need live on less than £130.00 a week in 2009-10 and no pensioner couple on less than £198.45.
	A full basic state pension will increase by £4.55 to £95.25 a week in April 2009. To provide additional support sooner, an additional one-off payment of £60 for each pensioner is being made, equivalent to bringing forward the uprating of the basic state pension from April to January. To support those pensioners who pay income tax, the age-related tax allowances will rise in April 2009 to £9,490 for people aged 65 to 74 and to £9,640 for people aged over 75.
	This support is in addition to other measures taken by the Government to assist pensioners, including the introduction of winter fuel payments, free eye tests and local off-peak bus travel, and free TV licences for households with someone aged over 75. The Chancellor keeps all tax and benefit rates under review as part of the Budget process.

Pensioners: Income

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to protect pensioners from the effects of recent reductions in interest rates on savings income.

Ian Pearson: The Government are committed to supporting pensioners through the global economic slowdown, providing support for all, but more for those who need it most. A range of measures was announced at PBR 2008 to support pensioners including an extra £60 payment, an increase in the pension credit by more than indexation, and further winter fuel payments of £200 for those aged 60+ (£300 for 80+). This is on top of the additional support announced in last year's Budget.

Private Finance Initiative

Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value was of each  (a) private finance initiative and  (b) public private partnership which was approved in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007, (iv) 2008 and (v) 2009 to date, broken down by location of project.

Angela Eagle: The full list of all signed PFI projects can be found on HM Treasury's website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/documents/public_private _partnerships/ppp_pfi_stats.cfm
	For each PFI project, this list details the project name, the capital value, the annual cost, the constituency and the procuring authority.

Royal Bank of Scotland

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions he made about  (a) the state of the economy over the next five years and  (b) the likely level of default on Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) assets when setting the fee for RBS's participation in the asset protection scheme.

Ian Pearson: The consideration for the asset protection scheme takes into account a number of factors including the nature and risk of the assets protected, the interests of taxpayers, and the objective of ensuring financial stability.

Royal Bank of Scotland

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Royal Bank of Scotland plans to use losses which it made in its last accounting year to reclaim corporation tax which it has already paid.

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether tax losses Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) incurred in 2008 will be available for offset against tax paid by RBS in previous years in the context of the asset protection scheme.

Ian Pearson: RBS have agreed not to claim certain UK tax losses and allowances for a number of years, meaning that when they do return to profitability, they will not be able to benefit from the losses accrued in the intervening period.

Stocks and Shares: Taxation

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward legislative proposals to provide for a tax of one per cent. on all derivative products written by banks regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Ian Pearson: All taxes are kept under review and the Chancellor announces any changes as part of the Budget process.
	From a regulatory standpoint, the Government agree that it is important to take steps to make the derivatives infrastructure more robust and support efforts by the European Union and other international bodies to increase transparency and liquidity in the derivatives market.

Tax Avoidance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax avoidance schemes are marketed by banks regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Ian Pearson: Under the Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Schemes Regime, promoters are required to provide information to HMRC about avoidance schemes falling within certain statutory descriptions. This must be done within five days of the schemes being made available or implemented.
	Disclosure Statistics are published six-monthly on the HMRC website. The statistics can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/avoidance/avoidance-disclosure-statistics.htm

Valuation Office: Standards

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 6 May 2008,  Official Report, column 829W, on the Valuation Office: standards, if he will place in the Library a copy of the updated version of the customer services manual.

Stephen Timms: The further updated version of the agency's customer service manual is available on the agency's website at:
	http://www.voa.gov.uk/instructions/chapters/Customer-Service-Manual/Frame.htm

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Arms Trade: Exports

Paul Burstow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the average length of time of each stage of the export licensing process was for licences in respect of exports to each country in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Government publish information on the average (median) number of days taken to process all Standard Individual Export Licences applications, by destination. The Government do not break this down into times taken for individual stages of the process.
	The information can be viewed on the BERR website at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/europeandtrade/strategic-export-control/statistics/process-times/index.html
	The latest date for which information is available is 30 June 2008. Officials will shortly be publishing the information for the quarter ending 30 September 2008.

Business: Government Assistance

Brian Binley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what progress has been made against the Government's target announced in the 2006 Budget to reduce the 3,000 business support schemes to 100 by 2010; and how many of those 3,000 schemes have been  (a) ended and  (b) merged with other schemes.

Ian Pearson: My noble Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform announced on 23 October 2008 that a streamlined portfolio of 30 national support products within the 'Solutions for Business' portfolio would be in place by March 2009. This portfolio draws on the best of existing and new schemes and represents a substantial reduction from the estimated 3,000 publicly-funded business support schemes that were previously available.
	By March 2010 all Government business support products will either have closed, or been given notice to close or migrated to the portfolio. As products wind down businesses will be steered to Solutions for Business products according to need.

Credit

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assistance is provided by his Department to help individuals obtain  (a) loans and  (b) credit; what plans he has to assist individuals in obtaining finance over the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Government recognise the difficulties that many individuals as well as businesses are having in obtaining credit at the moment. The Government are particularly concerned about access to credit for low income families.
	The Government have implemented a number of measures to support low income families during these difficult times. We are investing £80 million in the Growth Fund to support the expansion of affordable credit alternatives through credit unions. The Growth Fund is tackling financial exclusion in England, Scotland and Wales and has already supported more than 130,000 loans to financially excluded people, worth over £56 million.
	We have also acted decisively and without delay taking action to stamp out unfair treatment of borrowers to ensure access to credit for all is maintained throughout the downturn. Following the credit card summit in November 2008 we secured agreement from credit card lenders to develop fair principles for any interest rate increase they introduce on reviewing an individual's risk profile. These came into force in January 2009 and provide extra protections when a customer or group of customers' interest rate is changed as a result of a perceived change in their ability to repay their debts.
	Where a lender increases their rates customers will be given the option to close down their account and repay their remaining balance at the existing rate of interest. Lenders also agreed not to increase rates for customers who have failed to make two or more consecutive minimum payments, where an agreed repayment plan is in place for the account, or where lenders have been notified by a not-for-profit debt advice agency that the customer is in serious discussion with it.
	Credit card lenders will also give a breathing space of up to 60 days to borrowers in difficulty. During this time lenders will not commence debt collection proceedings, giving borrowers time to agree a repayment plan with the help of a not-for-profit debt advice agency.
	I have established the Consumer Finance Forum to allow the Government a platform to continue to monitor the credit market closely throughout the downturn. The forum will regularly bring together representatives from the financial services industry, consumer groups and Government to address issues facing borrowers during the downturn.

Credit: Insurance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the level of claims on credit insurance has been in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: This Department does not currently collate or distribute this information.

Departmental Foreign Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many  (a) EU foreign nationals and  (b) non-EU foreign nationals are employed by his Department.

Patrick McFadden: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 January 2008,  Official Report, column 668W.

Departmental Gifts

John Redwood: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many members of staff in his Department and its predecessor have received gifts valued at £100 or higher in the course of their duties in each of the last three years; what these gifts were; and from whom they were received.

Patrick McFadden: The rules and guidance on receipt of gifts by civil servants are set out in the Civil Service Management Code, and in BERR's Staff Handbook. The following table shows gifts staff have received valued at £100 or higher over the last three years.
	
		
			   Gifts  Estimated value (£)  From 
			 2007 Nintendo Lite with two games 200 Science Museum—one part of the public sector accepting a gift from another part 
			 2008 Nano Ipod combined with marketing items 120 Virgin Media 
		
	
	Gifts valued at more than £50 are surrendered to the Department unless the individual pays for the value of the gift. None of the above items were kept by the individual recipients but retained by the Department.

Drugs: Industry

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effect of the recession on the pharmaceutical industry; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: This Department is monitoring closely the impact of the recession on all business sectors. The immediate effects of the downturn on large pharmaceutical companies has not been as pronounced as those in many other manufacturing sectors. However ongoing restructuring and cost-cutting programmes which have been established over the last few years by large multinational pharmaceutical companies are leading to an overall loss of pharmaceutical jobs in the UK and globally.
	On 27 January 2009, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister chaired a meeting of Government and biopharmaceutical business leaders. The overarching aim of the meeting was to identify a long-term framework to help the UK maintain its world class bio-pharmaceutical industry. Government and industry agreed to work together to develop a strategy for the biosciences industry. Action to drive this work forward is being taken forward through the Office for Life Sciences.

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Paul Burstow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations his Department has received on the effect of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive on business costs; what his latest estimate is of those costs; how many businesses met the deadline for compliance with the Directive's provisions in the UK; how many fines have been imposed for failure to comply; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Department has regular discussions with a range of stakeholders on the impact of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) in the UK. These discussions have included the costs incurred by business. A full Regulatory Impact Assessment was published alongside the UK WEEE Regulations 2006.
	Under the UK WEEE Regulations all producers of Electrical and Electronic Equipment have an obligation to register with a Producer Compliance Scheme (PCS) to discharge their obligation. 4,348 producers were registered with PCSs for the 2007 compliance period. This has risen to 5,190 for the 2008 compliance period. All PCSs met their obligations on behalf of their producer members for the 2007 compliance period. No fines have been imposed for failure to comply.

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Maria Miller: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent assessment has been made of levels of compliance with the provisions of the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive.

Ian Pearson: The responsibility for enforcement and on-going monitoring of compliance under the UK Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations lies with the Environment Agency (England and Wales), the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), and the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland. All producer compliance schemes discharged their members obligations for the 2007 compliance period.

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Paul Burstow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will estimate the cost of introducing a de minimis rule in relation to business compliance with the requirements of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive.

Ian Pearson: There is currently no scope to offer a de minimis in relation to business compliance within the requirements of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE).

Environment Protection

David Kidney: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the comparative strengths of different subsectors of the UK's environmental industries.

Ian Pearson: This Department published on 23 June 2008 a study commissioned from Ernst and Young on 'Comparative Advantage and Green Business'.
	The main conclusions were that a green economy will be one in which lower carbon and resource efficiency will permeate all products and services throughout the entire economy, and that more focus should be given to the sectors where the UK currently has comparative advantage.
	Ernst and Young identified the following specific key sub-sectors where the UK currently exhibits comparative advantage and could develop green business opportunities: software, electronic equipment, business services, financial services and machinery equipment.
	The full report can be accessed at
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file46793.pdf.

Gulf Co-operation Council

David Lidington: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his Department's policy is on negotiations on a free trade agreement between the EU and the Gulf Co-operation Council; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The UK would support the completion of negotiations for a free trade agreement between the EU and the Gulf Co-operation Council, which have been ongoing since 1989. Progress was made in the technical negotiations at the end of last year, and the UK supports continuation of this effort. However, there remain outstanding issues, which we would need to see resolved before negotiations are completed, in particular with regard to the key political clauses, and with regard to the imposition of export duties in Gulf States.

Supermarkets: Complaints

Tim Farron: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of a supermarket ombudsman in each of the next six years.

Gareth Thomas: The Department has made no such assessment. The Competition Commission (CC) is continuing to pursue implementation of all aspects of the Groceries Supply Code of Practice. Should no voluntary agreement be possible and the matter be referred to Government, we would need to consider the costs and benefits of a range of options before deciding on a way forward.
	However, in its report the CC produced some initial annual costs associated with this remedy which were in the region of £3.9 million to £5.4 million comprising £3 million retailer costs and £0.9 million to £2.4 million costs for the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). There may be additional costs incurred by the Ombudsman driven largely by the number of disputes.

Television: Waste Disposal

Maria Miller: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what restrictions there are on the export of television sets forming part of a local authority's household waste under the provisions of the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive.

Ian Pearson: Article 6 of the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive (WEEE) requires that the shipment of any WEEE, including waste television sets, between member states or out of the Community for treatment should be in compliance with the EC Waste Shipments Regulation (EC/2006/1013). The controls that apply depend on the classification of the waste and the destination country. In practice, waste televisions may be sent for recovery only to other countries which are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ("OECD countries").

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Members: Allowances

Greg Knight: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many staff are engaged in processing hon. Members' Additional Cost Allowance claims.

Nick Harvey: Staff in the Department of Resources typically have responsibilities for functions which deal with more than one parliamentary allowance. Over 6,000 claims for Additional Costs Allowance are processed each year and it is estimated that this requires the equivalent of some four full-time staff.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Equality: Prosecutions

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality which public bodies have been prosecuted for failing in their statutory equality duties in each of the last four years; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is the Government agency responsible for promoting and enforcing the statutory equality duties. It is not within the Commission's remit to prosecute public bodies, however they have a range of legal powers set out in the Equality Act 2006, which they can and do use to enforce the public sector duties.
	The EHRC can issue a compliance notice where they are satisfied a public authority has failed to meet its specific duties. If a public authority fails to comply with a requirement of the notice either to comply with the duty or provide further information, the EHRC may apply for a court order requiring compliance.
	The court may grant the order in the terms that the EHRC applied for or in more limited terms. If the court makes an order and the authority does not abide by it, the authority may be held in contempt of court.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan and Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officers of each rank have served in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan in each year since 2003.

Bob Ainsworth: Data on the numbers of officers who have served in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan in each year during the period 2003-07, broken down by rank are not held centrally in individual level databases and as such could only be provided a disproportionate cost.
	Due to ongoing validation of data from the joint personnel administration (JPA) system, data on the numbers of officers who have served in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan in 2008, broken down by rank are not available and as such could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British armed forces personnel are stationed in Kabul and the surrounding area.

Bob Ainsworth: Some 500 UK Service Personnel are currently stationed in and around Kabul, although the precise number fluctuates on a daily basis. This is for a variety of reasons, including mid-tour rest and recuperation, temporary absence for training, evacuation for medical reasons and the roulement of forces.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of NATO's deployment in Afghanistan was in 2007-08.

Bob Ainsworth: The underlying principle is that costs incurred by nations deploying their forces on NATO-led operations are borne individually by Allies. The net additional cost to the UK of operations in Afghanistan in 2007-08 (i.e. expenditure above that which would have been incurred anyway, such as salaries) was £1,504 million. Other nations' contributions to multinational operations are a matter for them.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of RAF passenger carrying flights from Brize Norton to Afghanistan have left more than three hours after the scheduled time of departure since 1 January 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: 10 passenger flights from Brize Norton to Afghanistan were delayed for more than three hours between 2 January 2009 and 26 February 2009. This figure represents 21 per cent. of the total numbers of flights.
	Severe winter weather conditions were a factor in many of the delays. Additionally, minor technical faults, which were quickly corrected, lead to some flights losing their departure or arrival slot, which had a disproportionate effect on departure times.

Aircraft Carriers

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent estimate is of the cost to his Department of the two aircraft carriers under construction; and what change this represents from estimates made in 2006.

Quentin Davies: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence, gave on 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 76W to the hon. Members for Aldershot (Mr. Howarth) and Dunfermline and West Fife (Willie Rennie).

Armed Forces: Casualties

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria the armed forces use to determine whether to report and make public instances of individual service personnel who have been  (a) wounded,  (b) seriously wounded and  (c) killed.

John Hutton: It is MOD policy to publish casualty statistics. These statistics, which cover all those admitted to field hospitals with serious injuries and diseases, are updated on a fortnightly basis. They do not include minor treatments. They are available openly on the MOD website.
	The MOD releases the names of deceased personnel after their Next of Kin have been informed. The names of those who have been wounded, whether seriously or otherwise, are not publicized, unless specifically requested by the individual concerned, in order to preserve the privacy of the patient and their family during convalescence.

Armed Forces: Compensation

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2008,  Official Report, column 328W, of the 38 personnel who were very seriously injured in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007 and whose claim for compensation had been registered by 13 November 2008, what the  (a) 10th,  (b) 25th,  (c) 50th,  (d) 75th and  (e) 90th percentiles were for the amount awarded in respect of the claims that were settled by 13 January 2009; and how many of the claims had been determined by 13 January 2009.

Kevan Jones: Unfortunately Defence Analytical Services and Advice are currently unable to provide information on compensation amounts paid out to personnel that were very seriously injured in Afghanistan during 2006 and 2007. However, I will write to the hon. Member when the information is available.
	Of the 38 personnel who were very seriously injured in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, and whose claim for compensation had been registered by 13 November 2008, all have had their claims determined as at 13 January 2009.
	 Letter from Kevan Jones, dated 3 March 2009:
	I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question on 3 February, (Official Report, column 111W) about the 42 personnel who were seriously injured in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007 and whose claim for compensation had been registered by 13 November 2008. You requested information on the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90(th) percentiles for the amounts awarded in respect of the claims that were settled by 13 January 2009; and how many of the claims had been determined by 13 January 2009.
	Of the 42 personnel who were seriously injured in Afghanistan during 2006 and 2007, and whose claim for compensation had been registered by 13 November 2008, 40 have had their claims determined as at 13 January 2009.
	Table 1 presents the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentiles for total lump sum payments awarded to the 40 personnel with a determined claim.
	
		
			  Table 1: Lump sum amounts awarded to seriously injured personnel, percentiles( 1) 
			   £ 
			 10th percentile 8,000 
			 25th percentile 13,000 
			 50th percentile 20,000 
			 75th percentile 67,000 
			 90th percentile 102,000 
			 (1) Figures are rounded to nearest £1,000 
		
	
	In addition to a lump sum award, two personnel that had left Service were also in receipt of an ongoing tax-free, index-linked Guaranteed Income Payment (GIP) as at 13 January 2009. Rounded to the nearest one thousand, the total GIP paid to these personnel over the next forty years will average £503,000.

Armed Forces: Compensation

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2008,  Official Report, columns 327-8W, of the 42 personnel who were seriously injured in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007 and whose claim for compensation had been registered by 13 November 2008, what the  (a) 10th,  (b) 25th,  (c) 50th,  (d) 75th and  (e) 90th percentiles were for the amount awarded in respect of the claims that were settled by 13 January 2009; and how many of the claims had been determined by 13 January 2009.

Kevan Jones: Unfortunately Defence Analytical Services and Advice are currently unable to provide information on compensation amounts paid out to personnel that were seriously injured in Afghanistan during 2006 and 2007. However, we will write to the hon. Member when the information is available.
	Of the 42 personnel who were seriously injured in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, and whose claim for compensation had been registered by 13 November 2008, 40 have had their claims determined as at 13 January 2009.
	 Letter from Kevan Jones, dated 3 March 2009:
	I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question on 3 February, (Official Report, column 110W) about the 38 personnel who were very seriously injured in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007 and whose claim for compensation had been registered by 13 November 2008. You requested information on the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentiles for the amounts awarded in respect of the claims that were settled by 13 January 2009; and how many of the claims had been determined by 13 January 2009.
	Of the 38 personnel who were very seriously injured in Afghanistan during 2006 and 2007, and whose claim for compensation had been registered by 13 November 2008, all have had their claims determined as at 13 January 2009.
	Table 1 presents the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentiles for total lump sum payments awarded.
	
		
			  Table 1: Lump sum amounts awarded to very seriously injured personnel, percentiles( 1) 
			   £ 
			 10th percentile 13,000 
			 25th percentile 34,000 
			 50th percentile 118,000 
			 75th percentile 245,000 
			 90th percentile 396,000 
			 (1) Figures are rounded to nearest £1,000 
		
	
	In addition to a lump sum award, four personnel that had left Service were also in receipt of an ongoing tax-free, index-linked Guaranteed Income Payment (GIP) as at 13 January 2009. Rounded to the nearest one thousand, the total GIP paid to these personnel over the next forty years will average £623,000.

Armed Forces: Hearing Impaired

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many one-off payments were made to people discharged from the armed forces since 1980 due to defective hearing; and what the average amount of such payments was.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 2 March 2009
	Information is not held in the format that identifies how many one-off payments were made under the War Pensions Scheme (WPS) to people discharged from the armed forces between 1980 and 1994 due to defective hearing; and what the average amount of such payments was. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Defence Analytical Services and Advice hold data for personnel medically discharged between 1 January 1995 and 31 December 2007. However, it is not possible to relate medical discharges to awards made under the WPS.
	Personnel medically discharged due to defective hearing caused by service on or after 6 April 2005 are considered under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS). Successful applicants who have hearing loss in both ears of 50 decibels or more will be awarded a lump sum tariff payment.
	Rounded to the nearest five, five of the 75 personnel medically discharged with hearing loss between 6 April 2005 and 31 December 2007 were awarded a lump sum tariff payment for hearing-related conditions under the AFCS. The amount of that payment depends on the nature and extent of the hearing loss—for example hearing loss in both ears of between 50 and 75 dB attracts a tariff award at level 13, current value £5,775.

Armed Forces: Hearing Impaired

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have been discharged from the armed forces owing to defective hearing in each year since 1980; and what percentage of those people had hearing loss of  (a) over 20 per cent. and  (b) between 15 and 19 per cent. at time of discharge.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 2 March 2009
	Information for those discharged from service due to defective hearing between 1980 and 1994 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The number of service personnel medically discharged each year between 1995 and 2007 with the principal reason for discharge due to hearing loss is contained in the following table. All numbers presented have been rounded to the nearest five to avoid disclosure of individual identities.
	
		
			  Table 1: Naval service, Army and RAF medical discharges due to hearing loss( 1) , 1995 to 2007 
			   Service 
			   Naval service  Army  RAF 
			 1995 (2)— 5 (2)— 
			 1996 (2)— 10 (2)— 
			 1997 (2)— 15 (2)— 
			 1998 (2)— 10 5 
			 1999 5 5 5 
			 2000 5 (2)— (2)— 
			 2001 (2)— 5 (2)— 
			 2002 (2)— 10 5 
			 2003 (2)— 10 5 
			 2004 (2)— 10 (2)— 
			 2005 (2)— 10 (2)— 
			 2006 (2)— 30 (2)— 
			 2007 (2)— 20 (2)— 
			 All 40 145 45 
			 (1 )Numbers may not add up to the sum of their parts due to rounding. (2 )Indicates less than five personnel have been discharged in this subgroup.  Note: Includes Royal Navy and Royal Marines 
		
	
	Information on the percentage of hearing for these personnel is not held electronically and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Hearing Impaired

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces pensions have been awarded to people who were discharged from the armed forces with defective hearing since 1980.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 2 March 2009
	 The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Hearing Impaired

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what compensation is payable to a member of the armed forces discharged with hearing loss of under 20 per cent. if the hearing loss increases subsequently.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 2 March 2009
	 Under War Pension Scheme and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme legislation there is no compensation payable to personnel with noise induced hearing loss of less than 20 per cent. The body of medical opinion confirms that hearing loss caused by excessive noise does not increase once exposure to the source of the noise ceases. Any subsequent hearing loss cannot therefore be due to service.

Armed Forces: Languages

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British military personnel have received training in the  (a) Farsi or Dari,  (b) Arabic,  (c) Urdu and  (d) Pashto languages in each year since 2007.

Bob Ainsworth: The information is not held in the format requested. The numbers of exams taken in the years 2007-09, however, are as follows:
	
		
			   Total 
			  Arabic  
			 2006-07 329 
			 2007-08 230 
			 2008-09(1) 195 
			   
			  Dari/Farsi  
			 2006-07 103 
			 2007-08 84 
			 2008-09 91 
			   
			  Pashtu  
			 2006-07 160 
			 2007-08 188 
			 2008-09 209 
			   
			  Urdu  
			 2006-07 3 
			 2007-08 6 
			 2008-09 9 
			 (1) Figures for 2008-09 are to date as the training year is not yet complete.

Armed Forces: Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current  (a) trained requirement,  (b) actual strength and  (c) numbers fit for duty is for each regiment of the (i) Royal Logistics Corps, (b) Royal Artillery, (c) Royal Signals and (d) Royal Engineers.

Bob Ainsworth: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Mental Illness

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of armed forces personnel who have served in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan have been diagnosed with a mental health condition;
	(2)  how many service personnel who have served in  (a) Afghanistan since 2001 and  (b) Iraq since 2003 his Department has recorded as having a mental health condition of each type in each year since 2001.

Kevan Jones: holding  answer  3 February 2009
	Since July 2007 the Defence Analytical Services and Advice (DASA) organisation has reported on the Psychiatric Morbidity of the UK armed forces. Quarterly reports for the whole of 2007 are available to view both in the Library of the House and on the DASA website at:
	www.dasa.mod.uk
	Equivalent verified data prior to 2007 are not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The morbidity report shows the number of new attendances at military Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMHs) during each quarter and the results of the initial mental health assessment. The figures shown in the following table are extracted from the morbidity report and show initial assessments of mental disorder broken down by operational deployment for the calendar year 2007.
	
		
			  I nitial mental disorder assessments in 2007: ICD-10 groupings by deployment 
			   Deployment:  theatres of operation  
			   Iraq and/or Afghanistan( 1)  Iraq  Afghanistan( 1)  Not known( 2) 
			  ICD-10 description  Patients seen  Patients seen  Patients seen  Patients seen 
			 All patients seen 2,562 2,176 464 271 
			  
			 All patients assessed with a mental disorder 1,898 1,725 375 155 
			  
			 Psychoactive substance use 216 198 38 13 
			 disorders due to alcohol(3) 150 140 27 8 
			 Mood disorders 395 365 57 34 
			 Depressive episode 314 288 51 33 
			 Neurotic disorders 1,188 1,071 265 86 
			 PTSD 145 124 48 6 
			 Adjustment disorders 705 639 148 31 
			 Other mental and behavioural disorders 99 91 15 22 
			  
			 No mental disorder 501 451 89 116 
			 No assessment details 163 147 37 0 
			 (1) Does not include personnel deployed to Afghanistan during the period January 2003 to October 2005. (2) Records supplied without identifiers. (3) Data for disorders due to use of alcohol are not available for the period January—March 2007. 
		
	
	DASA's statistics show that the total number of new patients assessed with a mental health disorder during their first appointment at MOD's out-patient DCMHs during 2007 is 19.9 per 1,000 strength of the armed forces, or 1.99 per cent. This figure covers all patients, including those who had not deployed operationally. Of the 190,400 regular members of the armed forces in service on 1 January 2008, 56 per cent. had previously deployed on operations to Iraq, Afghanistan or both theatres.

Armed Forces: Pay

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people in  (a) the armed forces and  (b) his Department receive the X-factor adjustment to military pay, broken down by rank.

Kevan Jones: X-Factor is paid in addition to base pay to reflect the relative disadvantage between the conditions of service experienced by members of the armed forces over a full career and conditions in civilian life. It is only paid to service personnel and is for the duration of their Service career regardless of where they are serving.
	All Regular, mobilised reserve and full-time reserve service personnel receive full X-Factor, which is currently 14 per cent. of base pay, up to the rank of lieutenant colonel and equivalent. Beyond this point it tapers in recognition of the diminishing impact of the X-Factor components on higher ranks. The level of X-Factor for other reserve personnel is set at either 0 per cent. or 5 per cent. of base pay depending on their level of commitment.
	The following table gives approximate numbers, by rank, of personnel who receive X-Factor. For simplicity, NATO ranks have been used.
	
		
			  Officers 
			 OFO 7,263 
			 OF1 5,458 
			 OF2 14,366 
			 OF3 11,407 
			 OF4 4,313 
			 OF5 1,224 
			 OF6 335 
			 OF7 97 
			 OF8 25 
		
	
	
		
			  Other ranks 
			 OR2 91,526 
			 OR3 19,383 
			 OR4 30,976 
			 OR6 20,480 
			 OR7 14,357 
			 OR8 5356 
			 OR9 3162

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated cost of the Support Vehicle programme was on 31 March  (a) 2002,  (b) 2003,  (c) 2004,  (d) 2005,  (e) 2006,  (f) 2007 and  (g) 2008, broken down by (i) direct resource departmental expenditure limit (DEL), (ii) indirect resource DEL and (iii) capital DEL.

Quentin Davies: The information requested is shown in the following table. The figures include the cost of the assessment, demonstration and manufacture phases. There are no records of support vehicle project costs prior to 2003.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   As at 31 March each year 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Direct Resource DEL n/a 4 9 12 6 5 4 
			 Indirect Resource DEL n/a 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Capital DEL n/a 1392 1378 1350 1332 1258 1268 
			 Total n/a 1396 1387 1362 1338 1263 1272

Departmental Data Protection

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2009 to the hon. Member for Chesterfield, (Paul Holmes)  Official Report, column 872, on departmental data protection, in what format his Department records information on staff dismissal for loss of departmental property.

Kevan Jones: Central records have been held since 2002 of all civilian staff dismissals and the disciplinary cases which lead up to them. Cases are recorded electronically under general classification headings, but those are not sufficiently detailed to enable identification of cases specifically related to loss of property. More detail about each case is recorded as free text of varying length which can be individually examined and which would include more detail about the precise nature of the offence.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons his Department's departmental expenditure limit for 2008-09 was increased in the Winter Supplementary Estimates.

John Hutton: The principal reason for the increased MOD departmental expenditure limit (DEL) was the net increase in the RfR2 of £2.302 billion direct resource DEL, £1.063 billion capital DEL, and indirect resource DEL of £0.350 billion to reflect the forecast costs of peacekeeping operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans.
	Details of the 2008-09 Winter Supplementary Estimate increased DEL request are set out in my written ministerial statement on 25 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 59-60WS. Further explanation can be found in the Winter Supplementary Estimates Memorandum, published in the House of Commons Defence Select Committee Report in the 2008-09 Winter Supplementary Estimate Evidence Section (HC52).

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which external organisations his Department has engaged to provide training for fast stream civil service staff in the last three years; and how many civil servants in his Department have participated in provision of training for external organisations in that period.

Kevan Jones: Over the past three years, the MOD Fast Stream has sourced training from the following external providers: Eclipse Management, Common Purpose, University of Central London, Westminster Explained, Alistair Grant and Co., BPP Professional Education Ltd., University of London (School of Oriental and African Studies), University of London (Birkbeck), Institut Francais, Cactus language, Alliance Francais, Goethe Institute, King's College London.
	In the last three years, 83 civil servants were involved in the 87 training courses that the Defence Academy ran for external organisations.

Detainees

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his statement of 26 February 2009, whether officials in his Department had been informed in 2004 of the transfer of detainees to which he referred.

John Hutton: There is evidence that a piece of related correspondence from another Government Department was copied to an MOD official on 7 October 2004, some months after the transfer had taken place, although detailed searches have not found this document within MOD records and the individual in question has no recollection of it. I am satisfied that those officials within my Department who advised Ministers on these issues were unaware of the case and that they acted in good faith at all times.

Detainees

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when officials in his Department first became aware that the answer given to the hon. Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr of 7 February 2006,  Official Report, column 1083W, on extraordinary rendition, was inaccurate.

John Hutton: The case of the two detainees transferred from Iraq to Afghanistan by the US outlined in my statement of 26 February, was brought to my attention on 1 December 2008, during the final stages of an MOD review of records of detentions. I directed that MOD officials conduct follow-up work to establish the facts and in doing so it became clear to them that inaccurate answers had been given to earlier questions in the House. This led to my statement on 26 February 2009.

Future Large Aircraft

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the contract specification for delivery dates for the A400M aircraft is; and what penalty clauses there are for late delivery in the contract.

Quentin Davies: The A400M contract specifies delivery of the 25 A400M UK aircraft at agreed dates starting in March 2010 and ending in April 2015. The contract does not include penalty clauses but does include provisions for liquidated damages for late delivery against the contractually specified delivery dates.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of  (a) the total helicopter fleet in service and  (b) the helicopter forward air fleet were fit for purpose in each year since 2001, broken down by service and type.

Quentin Davies: The percentages of the total helicopter fleet and the forward helicopter fleet which are fit for purpose are not recorded as a matter of course, and are not therefore available from 2001 in all cases.
	"In Service" has been taken to mean the Effective Fleet, which covers all aircraft barring those which are redundant, declared as surplus or awaiting disposal.
	"Forward Fleet" aircraft are those that are available to the Front Line Commands for operational and training purposes, including those that are classed as "short term unserviceable"; aircraft undergoing scheduled depth maintenance, or planned routine fleet maintenance are excluded.
	"Fit for Purpose" aircraft are those in the Forward Fleet considered capable of carrying out their planned missions on a given date.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  Service and Helicopter  2001- 02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			  Royal Navy 
			  Merlin HM1 
			 Effective Fleet 20 16 17 10 24 29 29 29 
			 Forward Fleet 44 35 37 21 48 48 46 52 
			  Lynx Mk 3/8 
			 Effective Fleet 36 38 42 44 40 40 38 40 
			 Forward Fleet 56 56 60 66 62 58 55 61 
			  Sea King Mk2/7 
			 Effective Fleet — 35 38 55 45 47 44 45 
			 Forward Fleet — 75 69 67 62 58 54 61 
			  Sea King Mk5 
			 Effective Fleet 37 35 39 39 37 43 43 42 
			 Forward Fleet 70 65 65 66 56 59 59 57 
			  Sea King Mk 4 and 6c 
			 Effective Fleet — — — 45 41 38 36 38 
			 Forward Fleet — — — 59 59 55 52 55 
			  
			  Army 
			  Apache 
			 Effective Fleet — — — — 28 31 34 30 
			 Forward Fleet — — — — 54 54 50 40 
			  A109 
			 Effective Fleet — — — 75 75 75 75 75 
			 Forward Fleet — — — 75 75 75 75 75 
			  Gazelle 
			 Effective Fleet — — — 55 46 38 37 38 
			 Forward Fleet — — — 96 102 88 90 88 
			  Lynx Mk 7 and 9 
			 Effective Fleet — — — 38 41 40 36 39 
			 Forward Fleet — — — 59 60 64 61 66 
			  Royal Air Force 
			  Chinook 
			 Effective Fleet — — — 43 38 40 45 50 
			 Forward Fleet — — — 55 56 59 62 69 
			  Merlin Mk 3/3a 
			 Effective Fleet — — — 14 36 36 36 39 
			 Forward Fleet — — — 20 53 57 53 65 
			  Puma 
			 Effective Fleet — — — 44 44 44 38 45 
			 Forward Fleet — — — 64 69 72 68 74 
			  Sea King Mk 3/3a 
			 Effective Fleet — — — — — 36 36 32 
			 Forward Fleet — — — — — 53 53 47 
		
	
	Effective Fleet figures are as at 1 April of each year.
	Fit for Purpose and Forward Fleet figures are an average across each year.

Navy: Piracy

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the assistance of the Royal Navy has been requested by individuals whose vessels have been involved in incidents of piracy or attempted piracy in the last three years.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 27 February 2009
	 There are no records held centrally of the Royal Navy having received any direct requests for assistance by individuals whose vessels have been involved in incidents of piracy or attempted piracy.
	However, RN vessels have responded to incidents through recognized channels in the Gulf of Aden, acting on behalf of the international counter-piracy operations. Comprehensive statistics are not available.

Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the cost of operations in Iraq, broken down on the same basis as note 2.3 of his Department's Annual Report and Accounts 2007-08, was in  (a) 2002-03 and  (b) 2003-04;
	(2)  what the cost of operations in Afghanistan, broken down on the same basis as note 2.3 of his Department's Annual Report and Accounts 2007-08, was in each financial year from 2001-02 to 2003-04.

John Hutton: The costs for Afghanistan in 2001-02 were not compiled in the format now used in our annual reports and cannot be reproduced on the same basis. The major cost areas for that year were:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 Resource expenditure 187 
			 Capital expenditure 34 
			 Total 211 
		
	
	The breakdown of costs in 2002-03 and 2003-04 for Iraq and Afghanistan is:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2002-03  2003-04 
			   Iraq  Afghanistan  Iraq  Afghanistan 
			 Service pay 30 17 196 10 
			 Civilian pay 5 12 18 1 
			 Infrastructure costs 53 8 75 5 
			 Stock consumption 170 33 115 4 
			 Equipment support costs 161 128 284 9 
			 Other costs and services 134 32 209 6 
			 Receipts and other income 3 (6) 9 1 
			 Total direct resource Del 556 224 906 36 
			 Stock Provisions/Write off 0 0 0 0 
			 Provisions (27) 8 (5) 0 
			 Depreciation 100 4 132 0 
			 Cost of capital 1 0 18 0 
			 Total indirect resource Del 74 12 145 0 
			 Total capital Del 218 75 260 10 
			 Total all DELs 848 311 1,311 46

Somalia: Piracy

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) ships and  (b) other units of the Armed Forces have been committed to the protection of merchant shipping from pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden.

Bob Ainsworth: As part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2), HMS Cumberland provided protection to vulnerable vessels, including World Food Programme shipping, when it transited through the gulf of Aden between October and December 2008.
	The EU counter-piracy mission Operation Atalanta took on this protection role as its primary objective when SNMG2 left the region. As part of this, HMS Northumberland carried out World Food Programme shipping support between January and February 2009.
	We are providing a frigate—currently HMS Portland—to conduct broader maritime security operations within the Combined Maritime Forces in the gulf of Aden. RFA Wave Knight continues to provide shipping and refuelling support to military vessels involved in counter-piracy activities in the region.
	The UK takes the protection of merchant shipping very seriously and many personnel both in the UK and overseas are engaged in activities relating to the provision of maritime security. This includes co-ordination of, and support to, merchant shipping, as well as the provision of command and control functions for both UK and international military vessels.

Territorial Army: Fulham

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department plans to make funds available for the refurbishment of the proposed Territorial Army Centre in Rylston Road, Fulham.

Kevan Jones: Initial funding has already allowed works to be carried out to make the proposed Territorial Army Centre in Rylston Road, Fulham, safe and secure.
	Funding for development works such as the provision of office and stores accommodation has been allocated for Financial Years 2013-14 and 2014-15.

Territorial Army: Pay

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much back pay was owing to Territorial Army soldiers who have seen active service in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan on the latest date for which figures are available; what steps are being taken to make payments which are owed; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 2 March 2009
	The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	There are no known systematic problems with any back pay owed to TA soldiers who have undertaken active service in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Tornado Aircraft: Weapons

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the 3P233 runway denial munition carried by RAF Tornado aircraft is a cluster munition within the meaning of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Bob Ainsworth: The UK withdrew the JP233 from service in 1998 in order to meet its obligations under the Ottawa Convention. JP233 would also have been rendered prohibited under the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Veterans Advice Unit: Manpower

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff in his Department worked in the Veterans Advice Unit in each of the last five years for which figures are available; how many currently work in the Unit; and how many he estimates will work in the Unit in the next financial year.

Kevan Jones: The Veterans Advice Unit (VAU) was staffed by three service personnel from 1999 until 2002 providing veterans with dedicated information and advice. In 2002, its responsibilities were transferred to the Veterans Agency now the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency providing a fully integrated set of 'through life' personnel services to both service and ex-service personnel. It has a single point of access through its free helpline on 0800 169 2277 and website,
	www.veterans-uk.info.
	The helpline employs a total of 26 staff (21 in whole-time equivalent posts) and its veterans advice team answering written inquiries employs four staff. Manning levels for the next financial year are not yet available.

Warships

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) in-service dates and  (b) current out-of-service dates are for each (i) submarine, (ii) frigate and (iii) destroyer in the Royal Navy.

Quentin Davies: It is departmental policy to release in-service dates only for those vessels for which the main investment decision has been taken. Our present planning assumptions, which are routinely updated as required, are as follows:
	 Submarines
	The MOD currently plans to procure seven Astute submarines. Four submarines are on contract, and in various stages of production at BAE Systems Submarine Solutions facilities at Barrow-in-Furness. The planned in-service dates for HMS Astute, the First of Class, Ambush, Artful and Audacious are subject to continuing detailed review by MOD, BAE Systems and other key stakeholders.
	 Frigates
	The Royal Navy's current Type 22 and Type 23 frigates will be replaced by the Future Surface Combatant but the programme has not yet reached the main investment decision stage. However, on current plans, we expect the first vessel to enter service around the end of the next decade.
	 Destroyers
	
		
			  Type 45 
			  Name  In-service date 
			 HMS Daring 2010 
			 HMS Dauntless 2011 
			 HMS Diamond 2012 
			 HMS Dragon 2012 
			 HMS Defender 2013 
			 HMS Duncan 2014 
		
	
	Our present planning assumptions for out-of-service dates are as follows:
	 Submarines
	 Vanguard class
	It is not possible to give precise out of service dates for the four Vanguard class submarines. As indicated in the December 2006 White Paper on the future of the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent we believe that we can extend the original design life by around five years and that accordingly the first Vanguard class submarine would go out of service around 2022 and the second around 2024 and work is ongoing to determine the optimum out of service dates for the remaining two.
	
		
			  Swiftsure class 
			  Name  Out-of-service date 
			 HMS Sceptre 2010 
		
	
	
		
			  Trafalgar class 
			  Name  Out-of-service date 
			 HMS Trafalgar 2009 
			 HMS Turbulent 2011 
			 HMS Tireless 2013 
			 HMS Torbay 2015 
			 HMS Trenchant 2017 
			 HMS Talent 2019 
			 HMS Triumph 2022 
		
	
	 Frigates
	
		
			  Type 22 
			  Name  Out-of-service date 
			 HMS Cornwall 2019 
			 HMS Campbeltown 2020 
			 HMS Cumberland 2021 
			 HMS Chatham 2022 
		
	
	
		
			  Type 23 
			  Name  Out-of-service date 
			 HMS Argyll 2023 
			 HMS Lancaster 2024 
			 HMS Iron Duke 2025 
			 HMS Monmouth 2026 
			 HMS Montrose 2027 
			 HMS Westminster 2028 
			 HMS Northumberland 2029 
			 HMS Richmond 2030 
			 HMS Somerset 2031 
			 HMS Sutherland 2033 
			 HMS Kent 2034 
			 HMS Portland 2035 
			 HMS St. Albans 2036 
		
	
	 Destroyers
	
		
			  Type 42 
			  Name  Out-of-service date 
			 HMS Exeter 2009 
			 HMS Nottingham 2010 
			 HMS Manchester 2011 
			 HMS Gloucester 2011 
			 HMS Liverpool 2012 
			 HMS York 2012 
			 HMS Edinburgh 2013

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Civil Servants: Pensions

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many retired civil servants receive a Civil Service pension of less than  (a) £1,000 and  (b) £2,000 per annum.

Tom Watson: holding answer 25 February 2009
	As at 24 February 2009 the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme is paying 40,191 pensioners a gross pension of less than £1,000 a year and a further 60,830 pensioners are receiving a gross pension of between £1,000 and £2,000 a year. "Pensioners" includes retired officers but not those in receipt of a dependant's pension.

Civil Servants: Pensions

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to page 5 of his Department's Civil Superannuation Resource Accounts 2007-08, HC 60, for what reason the decision was taken to close the Standard Life and Scottish Widows With-Profits Civil Service Additional Voluntary Contribution Scheme funds.

Tom Watson: The Cabinet Office, as manager of the Civil Service Additional Voluntary Contribution Scheme (CSAVCS), has commissioned Hewitt Associates Financial Services Limited to advise it on the suitability of the CSAVCS providers and the funds they offer. An Annual Review, which covers all aspects of the scheme, including fund performance, forms part of this advice.
	In its 2006-07 review report, Hewitt confirmed that Standard Life and Scottish Widows remained suitable AVC providers but raised concerns about the suitability of the With-Profits funds for CSAVCS investors. In line with Hewitt's advice Cabinet Office closed all With Profits funds to new investors from November 2007. Cabinet Office also wrote to existing investors in With Profits, giving these members the choice of transferring to another fund or leaving their accumulated fund in With-Profits and continuing to make contributions.

Departmental Data Protection

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  on what date his Department's policy on the management of its electronic records first took effect; and on what dates it has subsequently been reviewed;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's policy statement on the management of its electronic records.

Tom Watson: A Records Management Policy Statement governing the management of electronic records in the Cabinet Office was published in August 2006. This information has been placed in the Library.

Departmental Internet

Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish a copy of his Department's website accessibility plan.

Tom Watson: The Department has not yet finalised its website accessibility plan. The plan will be published by May 2009. The Department's web accessibility statement
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/terms_and_conditions.aspx
	states that we adhere to COI guidance
	http://www.coi.gov.uk/guidance.php?page=188
	and W3C guidelines
	http://www.w3.org/WAI/
	We use several services and forms of specialist software to incorporate better accessibility for people with cognitive, hearing, visual and physical disabilities.

Departmental Staff Surveys

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much the Cabinet Office spent on staff surveys in each of the last five years; and which company was contracted to conduct each such survey.

Tom Watson: The following table sets out Cabinet Office's contracted price on staff surveys in each of the last five years and which company was contracted to conduct each survey:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Spent on survey  Company contracted 
			 2008-09 13,226 ORC International 
			 2007-08 25,000 Towers Perrin ISR 
			 2006-07 15,505 ORC International 
			 2005-06 15, 120 ORC International 
			 2004-05 15,810 ORC International 
		
	
	The additional costs for the contract in 2007-08 reflected a change in methodology to provide more in-depth employee engagement analysis for the first time.
	In 2008-09, the Cabinet Office is participating in a pilot of a single civil service survey, alongside nine other Departments, resulting in significantly reduced costs for the Department.

Employment

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what proportion of the increase since 1997 in the number of people of working age in employment is accounted for by  (a) UK-born workers,  (b) workers from outside the UK and  (c) workers from outside the EU; and how many people there were in each category on the latest date for which figures are available;
	(2)  what proportion of the increase since 1997 in the number of people aged over 16 in employment is accounted for by  (a) UK-born workers,  (b) workers born outside the UK and  (c) workers born outside the EU; and if he will express these figures (i) in numbers and (ii) as a percentage.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 23 February 2009
	 The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking:
	What proportion of the increase since 1997 in the number of people of working age in employment in the UK is accounted for by (a) UK-born workers, (b) workers from outside the UK and (c) workers from outside the EU; and how many people there were in each category on the latest date for which Figures are available. (257366)
	What proportion of the increase since 1997 in the number of people aged over 16 in employment in the UK is accounted for by (a) UK-born workers, (b) workers born outside the UK and (c) workers born outside the EU; and if he will express these figures (i) in numbers and (ii) as a percentage. (257388)
	The requested information is shown in the attached tables.
	The estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	The figures in the table are derived from the LFS microdata which are weighted using the official population estimates published in autumn 2007. Consequently the 2008 estimates are not entirely consistent with the figures published in the monthly Labour Market Statistics First Release, or the migrant workers figures published every quarter, which are weighted using more up-to-date population estimates.
	
		
			  People of working age( 1)  in employment by country of birth—three month period ending December, 1997 and 2008 United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted 
			  Thousand and percentage 
			   UK born workers  Non-UK born workers  Non-EU born workers  Total( 2) 
			 1997 23,947 1,959 1,411 25,908 
			 2008(3) *24,372 *3,719 *2,495 *28,099 
			  
			 Change between 1997 and 2008 425 1,759 1,084 2,192 
			 Change as percentage of total 19 80 49 100 
			  Source: Labour Force Survey 
		
	
	
		
			  People aged 16 and over in employment by country of birth—three month period ending December, 1997 and 2008 United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted 
			  Thousand and percentage 
			   UK born workers  Non-UK born workers  Non-EU born workers  Total( 2) 
			 1997 24,681 2,013 1,442 26,695 
			 2008(3) *25,612 *3,823 *2,567 *29,443 
			  
			 Change between 1997 and 2008 931 1,810 1,125 2,748 
			 Change as percentage of total 34 66 41 100 
			 (1) Men aged 16-64 and women aged 16-59. (2) Includes those whose country of birth was not known. (3) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below.  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.  Key Coefficient of Variation (CV) (%) Statistical robustness  * 0 = CV <5 Estimates are considered precise. ** 5 = CV <10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise. *** 10 = CV <20 Estimates are considered acceptable. **** CV = 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes.  Note: The estimates exclude people in most types of communal establishment (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc.).  Source: Labour Force Survey

Government Departments: ICT

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate the Cabinet Office has made of the number of Government IT projects initiated in the last five years which are  (a) over budget and  (b) behind schedule.

Tom Watson: During the past five years, we have initiated eight major IT projects in the Department. Of these one is currently behind schedule and two were delivered one month late. No major IT project initiated in this period is currently over budget.
	Each Government Department is responsible for the management of its own IT projects. The Cabinet Office does not keep information centrally about IT projects managed by other Departments.

Ministerial Policy Advisers: Public Relations

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  how many Government special advisers there were whose primary role was in dealing with the media  (a) in 1997 and  (b) at the most recent date for which information is available;
	(2)  with reference to paragraph 72 of his Department's memorandum to the House of Lords Select Committee on Communications of 14 October 2008, who the 13 special advisers were in post at 17 September 2008 who were employed primarily in the area of communications;
	(3)  with reference to paragraph 72 of his Department's memorandum presented to the House of Lords Communications Select Committee inquiry into Government communication of 14 October 2008, how many special advisers were employed primarily in the area of communications in 1996.

Tom Watson: The Government are committed to publishing an annual statement on the names and cost of special advisers. Information for the financial year 2007-08 was published on 22 July 2008,  Official Report, column 99WS. Information for 2008-09 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the financial year.
	The most up to date information held in respect of special advisers who are employed primarily in the area of communications remains as set out in the Cabinet Office memorandum to the House of Lords Select Committee in October 2008. Information on the numbers of special advisers employed primarily in the area of communications in 1996 and 1997 is not held centrally.

Non-departmental Public Bodies: Recruitment

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information his Department holds on numbers of people resident in Northern Ireland who have  (a) applied for and  (b) been appointed by Ministers to posts in UK-wide non-departmental bodies in each of the last three years.

Tom Watson: holding answer 27 February 2009
	This information is not held by Government. The Government are, however, committed to promoting diversity in public appointments and ensuring that people from all parts of the UK have an equal opportunity to serve on the boards of UK public bodies.

Voluntary Organisations: Government Assistance

Nick Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which elements of the Recession Action Plan for the Third Sector are funded from existing budgets of Government departments and non-departmental bodies.

Kevin Brennan: All elements of Real Help for Communities: Volunteers, Charities and Social Enterprises have been funded from existing budgets across Government in order to invest in the sector now.
	This includes funding from the Department of Work and Pensions, up to £10 million and £11.5 million from the Department of Health. The remaining funding is a £13.5 million draw down on end-year flexibility and £7.5 million from within existing Office of the Third Sector budgets.

HEALTH

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many women were referred by national health service GPs to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service for an abortion in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by the  (a) age of the woman,  (b) length of gestation of the pregnancy at referral and  (c) region of residence of the woman;
	(2)  how many early medical abortions were performed by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service at the request of the national health service in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by the  (a) age of the woman,  (b) length of gestation of the pregnancy and  (c) region of residence of the woman.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on referrals for abortion by general practitioners is not collected.
	The information requested on national health service funded abortions is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Total NHS funded abortions at British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) clinics, England , 2007 
			  Age  Number 
			 Under 15 281 
			 15 756 
			 16 1,483 
			 17 2,132 
			 18 2,652 
			 19 2,865 
			 20 2,772 
			 21 2,606 
			 22 2,561 
			 23 2,372 
			 24 2,119 
			 25 2,011 
			 26 1,861 
			 27 1,738 
			 28 1,469 
			 29 1,319 
			 30 1,157 
			 31 1,146 
			 32 1,137 
			 33 1,008 
			 34 934 
			 35 859 
			 36 856 
			 37 744 
			 38 683 
			 39 577 
			 40 464 
			 41 353 
			 42 281 
			 43 193 
			 44 119 
			 45 and over 139 
			 Total 41,647 
		
	
	
		
			  Gestation weeks  Number 
			 5 and under 1,571 
			 6 3,906 
			 7 8,617 
			 8 7.934 
			 9 4,616 
			 10 3,562 
			 11 2,368 
			 12 2,235 
			 13 1,597 
			 14 1,158 
			 15 789 
			 16 642 
			 17 572 
			 18 487 
			 19 394 
			 20 413 
			 21 334 
			 22 254 
			 23 198 
			 Total 41,647 
		
	
	
		
			  Strategic health authority of residence of woman , 2007 
			   Number 
			 East of England 1,285 
			 East Midlands 1,972 
			 London 8,976 
			 North West 3,367 
			 North East 45 
			 South Central 4,719 
			 South East Coast 4,753 
			 South West 3,627 
			 West Midlands 9,841 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 3,062 
			 Total 41,647 
		
	
	
		
			  Total NHS funded  medical abortions performed under nine weeks gestation at BPAS clinics,  England , 2007 
			  Age  Number 
			 Under 16 136 
			 Under 18 754 
			 18 514 
			 19 581 
			 20 590 
			 21 580 
			 22 625 
			 23 579 
			 24 528 
			 25 513 
			 26 472 
			 27 451 
			 28 390 
			 29 337 
			 30 338 
			 31 276 
			 32 311 
			 33 290 
			 34 287 
			 35 and over 1,506 
			 Total 9,922 
		
	
	
		
			  Gestation weeks  Number 
			 5 and under 1,456 
			 6 3,014 
			 7 3,295 
			 8 2,157 
			 Total 9,922 
		
	
	
		
			  Strategic health authority of residence of woman , 2007 
			   Number 
			 East of England (1)— 
			 East Midlands 326 
			 London 1,706 
			 North West 349 
			 North East (1)— 
			 South Central 844 
			 South East Coast 1,407 
			 South West 1,013 
			 West Midlands 2,811 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 1,143 
			 Total 9,922 
			 (1) Suppressed totals less than 10 (between 0 and 9) and values where a presented total would reveal a suppressed value.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the areas are with  (a) high abortion and  (b) repeat abortion rates, referred to in paragraph 5.31 of Healthy lives brighter futures: The strategy for children and young people's health; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Primary care organisations with abortion rates for age under 18 higher than England average, 2007 
			   Primary care organisation  Under 18 rate 
			  England 20 
			 5NY Bradford and Airedale Teaching 20 
			 5A9 Barnet 20 
			 5JE Barnsley 20 
			 5NQ Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale 20 
			 5LC Westminster 20 
			 5PV West Essex 21 
			 5H8 Rotherham 21 
			 5KM Middlesbrough 21 
			 5FE Portsmouth City Teaching 21 
			 5NJ Sefton 21 
			 5EM Nottingham City 21 
			 5NH East Lancashire Teaching 21 
			 5M3 Walsall Teaching 21 
			 5P2 Bedfordshire 21 
			 5PN Peterborough 21 
			 5N3 Wakefield District 22 
			 5E1 North Tees 22 
			 5EF North Lincolnshire 22 
			 5QJ Bristol 22 
			 5KL Sunderland Teaching 22 
			 5ET Bassetlaw 22 
			 5A4 Havering 22 
			 5N1 Leeds 22 
			 5HQ Bolton 22 
			 5A7 Bromley 22 
			 5KG South Tyneside 22 
			 5LQ Brighton and Hove City 22 
			 5HG Ashton, Leigh and Wigan 22 
			 5D9 Hartlepool 23 
			 5K7 Camden 23 
			 5D7 Newcastle 23 
			 5P8 Hastings and Rother 23 
			 5MX Heart of Birmingham Teaching 23 
			 5NN West Cheshire 23 
			 5JX Bury 23 
			 5M7 Sutton and Merton 23 
			 5PE Dudley 23 
			 5NM Halton and St. Helens 24 
			 5PF Sandwell 24 
			 5L3 Medway 24 
			 5MV Wolverhampton City 24 
			 5AN North East Lincolnshire 24 
			 5PR Great Yarmouth and Waveney 24 
			 TAK Bexley Care Trust 24 
			 5PG Birmingham East and North 24 
			 5PJ Stoke on Trent 25 
			 5LH Tameside and Glossop 25 
			 5NX Hull Teaching 25 
			 5K5 Brent Teaching 25 
			 5N4 Sheffield 25 
			 5NK Wirral 25 
			 5D8 North Tyneside 26 
			 5N5 Doncaster 26 
			 5J4 Knowsley 26 
			 5AT Hillingdon 27 
			 5NL Liverpool 27 
			 TAL Torbay 27 
			 5C4 Tower Hamlets 28 
			 5M1 South Birmingham 29 
			 5HY Hounslow 29 
			 5F5 Salford Teaching 29 
			 5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham 29 
			 5C1 Enfield 30 
			 5J9 Darlington 30 
			 5K9 Croydon 31 
			 5LG Wandsworth 31 
			 5NT Manchester 32 
			 5MD Coventry Teaching 32 
			 5C2 Barking and Dagenham 32 
			 5K8 Islington 34 
			 5NC Waltham Forest 35 
			 5C3 City and Hackney Teaching 37 
			 5C9 Haringey Teaching 38 
			 5A8 Greenwich Teaching 38 
			 5LF Lewisham 40 
			 5LD Lambeth 44 
			 5LE Southwark 47 
			  Notes:  1. Rates for PCOs are based on 2006 mid year population estimates.  2. Rates for under 18 are based on populations 15-17. 
		
	
	
		
			  Primary care organisations with repeat abortion rates for age under 19( 1)  higher than England average, 2007 
			   Primary care organisation  Percentage of abortions that were repeat abortions in women aged under 19 
			  England 10 
			 5QG Berkshire East 10 
			 5NY Bradford and Airedale teaching 11 
			 5F5 Salford Teaching 11 
			 5A9 Barnet 11 
			 5NL Liverpool 11 
			 5PG Birmingham East and North 11 
			 5P5 Surrey 11 
			 5LH Tameside and Glossop 11 
			 5L3 Medway 11 
			 5GC Luton 12 
			 5EM Nottingham City 12 
			 5PE Dudley 12 
			 5N5 Doncaster 12 
			 5M1 South Birmingham 12 
			 5NK Wirral 12 
			 5QE Oxfordshire 12 
			 5MX Heart of Birmingham Teaching 12 
			 5QF Berkshire West 12 
			 5J9 Darlington 12 
			 5MK Telford and Wrekin 12 
			 5QA Eastern and Coastal Kent 12 
			 TAK Bexley Care Trust 13 
			 5PD Northamptonshire Teaching 13 
			 5P1 South East Essex 13 
			 5A8 Greenwich Teaching 13 
			 5C2 Barking and Dagenham 13 
			 5M7 Sutton and Merton 13 
			 5P4 West Hertfordshire 13 
			 5MD Coventry Teaching 13 
			 5P9 West Kent 13 
			 5A3 South Gloucestershire 13 
			 5LG Wandsworth 14 
			 TAM Solihull 14 
			 5LQ Brighton & Hove City 14 
			 5LC Westminster 14 
			 5CC Blackburn and Darwen Teaching 14 
			 5K5 Brent Teaching 14 
			 5MV Wolverhampton City 14 
			 5NC Waltham Forest 14 
			 5HX Ealing 14 
			 5NT Manchester 15 
			 5J2 Warrington 15 
			 5K3 Swindon 15 
			 5HY Hounslow 15 
			 5PV West Essex 15 
			 5P3 East and North Hertfordshire 15 
			 5LF Lewisham 15 
			 5C5 Newham 15 
			 5LD Lambeth 17 
			 TAL Torbay 17 
			 5LE Southwark 17 
			 5K9 Croydon 17 
			 5C9 Haringey Teaching 17 
			 5K6 Harrow 17 
			 5C4 Tower Hamlets 18 
			 5A7 Bromley 18 
			 5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham 18 
			 5AT Hillingdon 18 
			 5C1 Enfield 19 
			 5K7 Camden 19 
			 5K8 Islington 19 
			 5NA Redbridge 19 
			 5LA Kensington and Chelsea 21 
			 5C3 City and Hackney Teaching 22 
			 (1 )Data provided are for women aged under 19. A table for women aged under 18 by PCT would result in a large number of PCTs with suppressed data.

Autism: Durham

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) schoolchildren and  (b) adults have been diagnosed with autism in (i) County Durham and (ii) Easington constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: This information is not collected centrally. It is the responsibility of primary care trusts to plan, develop and improve services according to the healthcare needs of their local populations, and this includes services for people with autism.

Breast Cancer: Health Services

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of women in Hemel Hempstead with suspected breast cancer saw a specialist within two weeks of referral in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: Information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the number and percentage of women with suspected breast cancer seeing a specialist within two weeks of referral in Hertfordshire.
	
		
			   West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust  East and North Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust 
			   Number seen within two  weeks  Percentage seen within two  weeks  Number seen within two  weeks  Percentage seen within two  weeks 
			 2004-05 811 99.4 531 99.4 
			 2005-06 886 99.9 566 100.0 
			 2006-07 1,142 100.0 679 100.0 
			 2007-08 1,173 100.0 792 100.0 
			 2008-09 Q1-Q3 963 100.0 785 100.0 
			  Note:  2008-09 Q3 is the most recent period for which cancer waiting times data is available — figure for 2008-09 above is therefore for Q1-Q3 performance.  Source:  Department of Health, cancer waiting times database.

Contraceptives

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department defines long acting reversible methods of contraception act as abortifacient; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: No form of contraception, including long acting reversible methods is an abortifacient. On 18 April 2002, Justice Mumby ruled that the supply and use of emergency contraception is lawful and that the prevention of implantation, which is brought about by emergency contraception products, which include the insertion of an intrauterine device, does not amount to procuring a miscarriage under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act.

Contraceptives

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women in each  (a) age group and  (b) NHS trust area had subdermal implants removed in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not currently collected centrally.

Contraceptives: Finance

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will publish the quarterly strategic health authority progress reports on allocation of the £26.8 million funding for contraception;
	(2)  how much of the £26.8 million spending on contraception announced by his Department on 6 February 2008 is allocated to each  (a) primary care trust and  (b) strategic health authority; and whether any of the funding was re-allocated from other budgets;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1934-40W, on teenage pregnancy, if he will assess the effectiveness of programmes intended to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies since 2005.

Dawn Primarolo: We expect to have a standard format that provides sufficient information without over-burdening the NHS for the next set of returns due in March. Once we have agreed the standard reporting arrangements, we will place the reports in the Library as they become available.
	Of the £26.8 million additional contraceptive funding £12.8 million was included in the Primary Care Trusts' (PCT) overall general allocations. These are not ring-fenced. PCTs have the flexibility to decide how best to use their resources in delivering the national requirements and local priorities as set out in the NHS Operating Framework.
	The 10 strategic health authorities (SHAs) were allocated funding based on a formula of a flat £0.5million each then an allocation based on the weighted capitation formula used for the PCT allocations. The individual SHA allocations are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Strategic  health authority 
			   £000 
			 North East Strategic Health Authority 780,000 
			 North West Strategic Health Authority 1,210,000 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority 1,010,00 
			 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority 900,000 
			 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority 1,000,000 
			 East of England Strategic Health Authority 1,000,000 
			 London Strategic Health Authority 1,300,000 
			 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority 900,000 
			 South Central Strategic Health Authority 900,000 
			 South West Strategic Health Authority 1,000,000 
		
	
	£1 million was allocated to SHAs (£100,00.00 per SHA) for work with further education colleges to improve contraceptive services for students.
	£0.5 million was used for the development of a national contraception awareness campaign.
	£1.5 million was used to support the 'You're Welcome programme', to make health services more young-people friendly, particularly contraceptive services.
	£0.5 million was used to set up the 'Healthy Further Education Programme', which will put in place a framework to improve the contribution of colleges to health and well-being, with priority this year for sexual health.
	£0.5 million was used to support more schools to gain 'Healthy School Status', including satisfying the criteria for delivering good quality Sex and Relationship Education.
	None of the £26.8 million additional contraceptive funding was reallocated from any other budget.
	England's under-18 conception rate is 41.7 per 1,000 and has fallen by 10.7 per cent, since the launch of the teenage pregnancy strategy. The under-16 rate is 8.3 per 1,000 and has fallen by 6.4 per cent, over the same period.
	Statistics published on 26 February 2009 by the Office of National Statistics show that in 2007 the under-18 conception rate rose by 2.6 per cent. Despite the rise in national figures in 2007 the long-term trend is still downward.
	The success of the teenage pregnancy strategy relies on all local areas applying it effectively. However, there is still significant variation at a local level, with some areas achieving reductions of over 30 per cent. whereas in other areas, rates have increased.
	We have identified a range of factors that are in place in the areas where they have made most progress, which are either absent or being delivered less intensively in areas performing less well. These are highlighted in the document Teenage Pregnancy Next steps - guidance for Local Authorities and Primary Care trusts on effective delivery of local strategies a copy of which has been placed in the Library.
	We have asked all local areas to ensure that they take account of these key ingredients and to update their local strategies as necessary. In addition, the NHS was reminded of the importance of provision of the full range of contraception to reduce teenage pregnancy in the NHS Operating Framework for 2009-10. An additional £20.5 million has been allocated for 2009-10 to support this work.

Dementia: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people resident in  (a) the London Borough of Bexley and  (b) Greater London have been diagnosed with dementia in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: The national Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) for England gives the number of people recorded on practice disease registers with a diagnosis of dementia. This register count is available only for the two latest releases of QOF, covering 2006-07 and 2007-08.
	This information is available for health areas only; in this instance Bexley care trust and the London strategic health authority (SHA).
	The number of people recorded on practice disease registers with a diagnosis of dementia for these organisations is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   2006-07  2007-08 
			 Bexley care trust 878 900 
			 London SHA 23,023 23,871 
			  Note: QOF was introduced as part of the new general medical services contract on 1 April 2004. The published QOF information was derived from the Quality Management Analysis System which is a national system developed by NHS Connecting for Health.

Dental Services

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the cost to the General Dental Council of administering the annual registration fee for dental technicians was  (a) in total and  (b) per technician in 2008;
	(2)  what the net cost incurred by the General Dental Council in licensing each registered dental technician annually was in 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: This information is not held by the Department. The information may be available from the General Dental Council which is an independent, statutory body.

Dental Services: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists were operating under  (a) general dental services contracts and  (b) personal dental services agreements in (i) Hemel Hempstead and (ii) Hertfordshire in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: Information is not available in the format requested.
	The number of national health service dentists, by contract type, in England as at 31 March, 1997 to 2006, are available in table 4 of the "NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report England: 31 March 2006".
	The number of NHS dentists, as at 31 March, 1997 to 2006 are available in annex E of the above report. Information is available by strategic health authority (SHA) and by primary care trust (PCT). Annex G contains information by parliamentary constituency.
	This measure counted the number of NHS dentists recorded on PCT lists as at 31 March each year. This information is based on the old contractual arrangements, which were in place up to and including 31 March 2006. This report, published on 23 August 2006, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dwfactivity
	Information by contract type at a regional level is not available under the old contractual arrangements.
	The number of dentists with NHS activity, by contract type, during the years ending 31 March, 2007 and 2008 are available in table G2 of annex 3 of the "NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2007/08" report. Information is provided by SHA and by PCT but is not available by constituency. This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006. This report, published on 21 August 2008, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0708
	Following a recent consultation exercise, this measure is based on a revised methodology and therefore supersedes previously published work force figures relating to the new dental contractual arrangements. It is not comparable to the information collected under the old contractual arrangements. This revised methodology counted the number of dental performers with NHS activity recorded via FP17 claim forms in each year ending 31 March.
	Further work is currently being undertaken to determine whether the new definition used under the new dental contractual arrangements can be applied to the years under the old contractual arrangements to produce a consistent time series.
	Both sets of published figures relate to headcounts and do not differentiate between full-time and part-time dentists, nor do they account for the fact that some dentists may do more NHS work than others.

Dental Services: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much NHS funding has been allocated to dentistry provision in Hemel Hempstead in each year since 2004.

Ann Keen: Prior to April 2006, most primary dental services were provided under former General Dental Service (GDS) arrangements. These were demand led services where the pattern of dental expenditure was largely determined by where dentists chose to practice, and how much national health service work they chose to undertake.
	The former GDS arrangements were replaced with effect from 1 April 2006, when primary care trusts (PCTs) were given responsibility for planning and commissioning primary dental services and provided with local, devolved, dental budgets. The primary dental service funding allocations made to West Hertfordshire PCT for each of the three years since PCTs assumed full responsibility for primary dental care services are in the following table. These are net of income from dental charges paid by patients, which are retained locally to supplement the resources available for dentistry. Actual expenditure levels are determined by the pattern and type of services commissioned by each PCT. PCTs may also dedicate some of their other NHS resources to dentistry if they consider this an appropriate local priority. Allocations are not apportioned by individual constituencies or towns; PCTs determine the distribution of resources within their area on the basis of local needs and priorities.
	
		
			  Primary dental service net funding allocations for West Hertfordshire PCT 
			   Allocation (£000) 
			 2006-07 19,217 
			 2007-08 20,439 
			 2008-09 22,659 
			  Notes: 1. The allocation figure for 2006-07 is the aggregate of the allocations made initially to the Dacorum, Hertsmere, St. Albans and Harpenden, and Watford and Three Rivers PCTs before they merged to form the West Hertfordshire PCT with effect from 1 October 2006. 2. PCTs are awarded separate funding allocations to meet the cost of any dental vocational trainees who may be placed with dental practices in their area.

Departmental Art Works

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which works of art from the Government Art Collection each Minister in his Department has selected for display in a private office.

Ben Bradshaw: Ministers have the following works from the Government Art Collection displayed in their offices:
	
		
			  Artist  Title 
			  Secretary of State for Health  
			 Carel Weight Ponte della Victoria, Verona (1945) 
			 Ceri Richards Trafalgar Square (1957) 
			 Vanessa Bell Asters and Hydrangeas 
			 Philip Sutton Heather in a Green Dress 
			 Kwo Da-Wei Kim (1959) 
			 Alistair Grant Fête Champêtre (1996) 
			 Howard Hodgkin You and Me (1978) 
			   
			  Minister of State for Health  
			 Andre Bicat Tuscan Church (1965-66) 
			 Andre Bicat Tuscan Landscape (1965-66) 
			 Tadek Beutlich Sunset II 
			 Julian Trevelyan Rhinos (1966-67) 
			 Samuel and Nathaniel Buck London and Westminster 4: Fleet Ditch to Basingshaw 
			 Will Maclean Legendary Predator (1976) 
			 John Piper Milton Ernest Hall (1977) 
			 Graham Sutherland Les Sirenes (The Sirenes) (1979) 
			   
			  Minister of State for Public Health  
			 Michael Buhler Seated Figure (1966) 
			 Josef Herman Dusk (1965) 
			 Josef Herman Figure Against Dark Sky (1965) 
			 Allen Jones Question Time (1982) 
			   
			  Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Health Services)  
			 Gordon House Black Matrices (1967) 
			 Mark Francis Untitled (1999) 
			 James Ireland Untitled 
			   
			  Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Lords)  
			 Helena Markson William Brown Street (1964-65) 
			 Helena Markson Albert Dock (1964-65) 
		
	
	The Minister of State for Care Services does not currently have any works from the Government Art Collection on display in his office.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department uses WPA2 encryption protocol on all its wireless networks.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department uses Wi-Fi Protected Access encryption on all its wireless networks.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what auditing his Department undertakes to ensure that IT security policies are being followed; and on how many occasions  (a) IT security policies have been breached by employees and  (b) a member of staff has been sanctioned for a breach of such policies in the last 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: Compliance audits are routinely and regularly undertaken. These include but are not limited to checks for removable computer media being left unsecured, passwords not carelessly written down and that accounts are being used in accordance with the Acceptable Use of information technology (IT) policy. These are either promoted in advance, but without giving a specific time or area, or carried out without warning. There are three types of compliance audit, one type focuses on IT security and six of these were performed in the last year. The Department is regularly reviewed against the Information Security Management Standard, ISO 27001.
	On 154 occasions there were minor breaches of the IT security policies such as storing personal photographs or poor housekeeping. None warranted referral to HR. However, on each of these occasions the individual concerned was notified of the area of concern via their section head, was reminded of the relevant security policy and asked to modify their future behaviour.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's IT security hierarchy.

Ben Bradshaw: Following is an organisational list showing the Department's information technology (IT) security hierarchy. The Departmental Security Officer reports both to the Director of Information Services and to the Permanent Secretary as appropriate, for instance for leak inquiries.
	 Department of Health Security Organisational  List :
	Permanent Secretary
	Director General of Finance, Chief
	Operating Officer and Senior Information Risk Officer
	Director of Information Services
	Departmental Security Officer
	IT Security Office

Eating Disorders

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase levels of awareness amongst GPs of bulimia and anorexia.

Phil Hope: We take the issue of eating disorders, especially among young people, very seriously. To help general practitioners (GPs) and other practitioners we commissioned clinical guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on the core interventions in the treatment and management of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and related eating disorders. We expect GPs to refer to this guidance.
	We have also increased funding for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services by over 60 per cent. in three years and, to provide better support for adults with common mental health problems, including anorexia, we announced a £170 million expansion of psychological therapies.

Foetal Anti-convulsant Syndrome

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) children and  (b) adults have been diagnosed with foetal anti-convulsant syndrome resulting from their mothers receiving sodium valproate treatment during pregnancy; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Foetal anticonvulsant syndrome describes a group of disorders in which birth defects and developmental disorders occur in association with a characteristic facial appearance in children whose mothers took antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy. Information on the total number of individuals diagnosed in the United Kingdom with foetal anticonvulsant syndrome is not available, however epidemiological studies suggest that the incidence of birth defects in babies born to mothers receiving antiepileptic medicines is approximately two to three times higher than the background rate in the general population.
	The UK Epilepsy and Pregnancy Register was established in 1996 in order to gather further information on the outcomes of pregnancies in women receiving antiepileptic medicines. All pregnant women taking antiepileptic medicines are encouraged to notify their pregnancy or allow their clinician to notify their pregnancy to this register. Findings from this register were published in 2005 and suggested that almost 96 per cent. of live-births born to women with epilepsy did not have a major birth defect. It also confirmed that the likelihood of a baby being born with a birth defect is increased if the woman is taking more than one antiepileptic medicine (polytherapy).
	The best established risk of abnormalities is associated with sodium valproate. An increased incidence of birth defects (including head and face deformities, deformities of the bones, malformations of the arms and legs and defects of the spinal cord and spine such as spina bidifia) has been shown in children born to mothers who took sodium valproate during pregnancy. For sodium valproate taken as monotherapy, the report from the UK Epilepsy and Pregnancy Register suggests that approximately five babies are born with a major birth defect for every 100 women taking this drug. This risk increases to approximately nine in 100 at higher doses (over 1,000 mg per day).
	The authorised product information on sodium valproate for prescribers and the patient information leaflet contain clear advice about its safety of use during pregnancy. This includes information about the potential for birth defects and recommends that any woman taking sodium valproate who is likely to become pregnant should receive specialist advice on these risks. There is also a recommendation that if taken during pregnancy sodium valproate should be used as monotherapy at the lowest effect dose. Folic acid supplementation prior to pregnancy is also recommended as this may reduce the risk of having a baby with spina bifida.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has published a clinical guideline covering the diagnosis, treatment and management of epilepsies in adults and children. This clinical guideline specifically covers the treatment and management of epilepsy in pregnancy.

Great Western Hospital: Waiting Lists

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) average and  (b) maximum waiting time for (i) in-patient and (ii) day case admissions was at the Great Western Hospital in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: The data for the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, formerly known as the Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust, as at March for each specified year, are given as follows.
	
		
			  In-patient and day case waiting list data—Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust( 1) 
			   Median waiting time (in weeks)  Maximum waiting time 
			  Period ending  In-patient (ordinary) admission  Day case  All patients waiting  In-patient (ordinary) admission  Day case admission  All patients 
			 March 1997 22.8 14.2 19.0 15-18 months 15-18 months 15-18 months 
			 March 1998 21.4 15.9 18.3 15-18 months 15-18 months 15-18 months 
			 March 1999 26.6 18.8 22.6 15-18 months 15-18 months 15-18 months 
			 March 2000 22.6 17.5 19.9 15-18 months 15-18 months 15-18 months 
			 March 2001 19.2 11.0 13.9 15-18 months 15-18 months 15-18 months 
			 March 2002 16.5 9.7 12.0 12-15 months 12-15 months 12-15 months 
			 March 2003 17.0 9.3 11.8 9-12 months 9-12 months 9-12 months 
			 March 2004 15.8 9.6 11.5 6-9 months 6-9 months 6-9 months 
			 March 2005 13.4 9.2 10.4 8-9 months 8-9 months 8-9 months 
			 March 2006 9.8 8.6 9.0 5-6 months 5-6 months 5-6 months 
			 March 2007 11.4 10.5 10.8 25-26 weeks 25-26 weeks 25-26 weeks 
			 September 2007 7.8 6.5 6.9 19-0 weeks 18-19 weeks 19-20 weeks 
			 March 2008 n/a n/a 5.9 n/a n/a 19-20 weeks 
			 December 2008 n/a n/a 5.5 n/a n/a 17-18 weeks 
			 (1) Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust, March 1997-March 2008, in December 2008 it became Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust  Notes: 1. Figures show the median waiting times for patients still waiting for admission at the end of the period stated. 2. In-patient waiting times are measured from the decision to admit by the consultant to the admission to hospital. 3. Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the position on average waits. 4. Data no longer collected by in-patient/day case split after 30 September 2007 5. Waiting times data collected in weekly time bands from 1 April 2007 and the maximum time band show the patient with the longest wait at the end of that period 6. Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust was in existence until December 2008, it then became the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.  Source: Department of Health Quarterly Waiting Times KH07 and MMRPROV

Health Services: Complaints

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many responses his Department received to its consultation on proposed changes to the legislative framework for health and social care complaints;
	(2)  in what ways the proposed new social care complaints procedure for adults will differ from the procedure for complaints in social care for children;
	(3)  what mechanisms there are in the proposed new social care complaints procedure to enable a director of adult care to highlight faults in the system;
	(4)  whether complainants will retain their right to independent scrutiny of their complaint under the proposed new social care complaints procedure; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what assessment he has made of the merits of the proposed changes to the social care complaints system whereby complaints would be dealt with by front line staff who provide the complainant's care.

Ann Keen: There were 191 responses to the consultation on "Reform of health and social care complaints: Proposed changes to the legislative framework". Prior to this the Department ran a consultation on the policy and principles of the new approach to complaints handling in the national health service and social care in 2007, entitled "Making experiences count: a new approach to responding to complaints". There were 376 written responses to this earlier consultation, the majority of which were positive and supportive of the new approach.
	Under the new approach as provided for in the forthcoming legislative framework the Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 laid before Parliament on the 27 February and coming into force on 1 April 2009, every local authority, NHS body, and primary care provider must designate a complaints manager to be responsible for managing the procedures for handling and considering complaints in accordance with the complaints regulations. Front line staff who provide the complainant's care may be required to contribute to investigations of complaints and provide explanations or reports as necessary, but not to take responsibility for managing complaints.
	Under the new system, complainants will retain the same rights as now to take their complaints either to the parliamentary and health service ombudsman for NHS complaints, or to the local government ombudsman for social care complaints for independent investigation, where they are dissatisfied with the response they have received from the local organisation. In addition the flexibility of the new system allows for local independent investigation of complaints where appropriate.
	In social care this will give adult social care complaints managers greater freedom to determine whether their handling will contain a single response, or stages, and at what point senior managers will become involved in considering the complaint. They will also decide whether and how independent consideration of the complaint will be addressed (i.e. whether there will be investigating officers conducting an investigation, and whether these will be independent of the organisation, and also whether there will be independent advocacy).
	The procedures for complaints about social care for children are remaining separate and unchanged under the Children Act 1989, and complainants will continue to receive a three stage procedure. This features an automatic right to advocacy for any young person, independent consideration of all stage 2 complaints through an independent person, and also a review panel (with a minimum of two independent people on it) for all stage 3 complaints. The director of children's services will normally become involved with complaints that reach stage 3 (though s/he will be briefed on complaints in general and all significant cases by the complaints manager).
	Under the Children Act, the complaints manager must be a direct employee of the local authority; this is no longer a feature of the reforms for adult services.
	The new system for the NHS and adult social care will require chief executives of local authorities and NHS bodies to be responsible for ensuring compliance with the new arrangements and in particular ensuring that action is taken if necessary in the light of the outcome of a complaint. It is envisaged that in local authorities chief executives may delegate this role to directors of adult social services.

Health Visitors: Manpower

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many trained health visitors there are in each primary care trust in England.

Ann Keen: The number of health visitors employed by each primary care trust is outlined in the following table.
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health services: qualified health visiting staff in England by strategic health authority area and by organisation as at 30 September 2007 
			Headcount  Full-time equivalent 
			  England  11,569 9,056 
			 
			  North East Strategic Health Authority area  698 575 
			 County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust RXP 2 1 
			 County Durham PCT 5ND 130 109 
			 Darlington PCT 5J9 28 21 
			 Gateshead PCT 5KF 47 40 
			 Hartlepool PCT 5D9 15 13 
			 Middlesbrough PCT 5KM 19 18 
			 Newcastle PCT 5D7 86 69 
			 North Tees PCT 5E1 41 37 
			 North Tyneside PCT 5D8 63 51 
			 Northumberland Care Trust TAC 112 83 
			 Redcar and Cleveland PCT 5QR 31 27 
			 South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust RE9 0 0 
			 South Tyneside PCT 5KG 46 39 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT 5KL 78 68 
			 
			  North West Strategic Health Authority area  1,897 1,516 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 5HG 104 82 
			 Blackburn with Darwen PCT 5CC 53 44 
			 Blackpool PCT 5HP 54 48 
			 Bolton PCT 5HQ 80 67 
			 Bury PCT 5JX 46 40 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 5NP 97 68 
			 Central Lancashire PCT 5NG 115 96 
			 Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust RW3 4 3 
			 Cumbria PCT 5NE 111 87 
			 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust RXR 3 2 
			 East Lancashire PCT 5NH 107 89 
			 Halton and St. Helens PCT 5NM 64 49 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 5NQ 61 54 
			 Knowsley PCT 5J4 69 59 
			 Lancashire Care NHS Trust RW5 0 0 
			 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RXN 2 2 
			 Liverpool PCT 5NL 108 93 
			 Manchester PCT 5NT 138 116 
			 North Lancashire PCT 5NF 61 49 
			 Oldham PCT 5J5 60 50 
			 Salford PCT 5F5 59 46 
			 Sefton PCT 5NJ 66 53 
			 Stockport NHS Trust RWJ 2 2 
			 Stockport PCT 5F7 99 61 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT 5LH 75 58 
			 Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust RM4 6 5 
			 Trafford PCT 5NR 56 44 
			 Warrington PCT 5J2 45 34 
			 West Cheshire PCT 5NN 63 47 
			 Wirral PCT 5NK 89 67 
			 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority area  1,301 1,022 
			 Barnsley PCT 5JE 52 44 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 5NY 158 123 
			 Bradford District Care Trust TAD 0 0 
			 Calderdale PCT 5J6 65 48 
			 Doncaster PCT 5N5 92 74 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 5NW 70 56 
			 Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust RCD 1 0 
			 Hull Teaching PCT 5NX 78 65 
			 Humber Mental Health Teaching NHS Trust RV9 3 3 
			 Kirklees PCT 5N2 77 64 
			 Leeds PCT 5N1 166 131 
			 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust RR8 1 1 
			 North East Lincolnshire PCT 5AN 43 36 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 5EF 44 37 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 5NV 168 123 
			 Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust RJL 0 0 
			 Rotherham PCT 5H8 66 54 
			 Sheffield Children's Hospital NHS Trust RCU 1 1 
			 Sheffield PCT 5N4 126 92 
			 Wakefield District PCT 5N3 90 72 
			 
			  East Midlands Strategic Health Authority area  925 716 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 5ET 23 16 
			 Derby City PCT 5N7 61 45 
			 Derbyshire County PCT 5N6 177 139 
			 Leicester City Teaching PCT 5PC 85 69 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 5PA 104 76 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 5N9 135 107 
			 Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust RNS 4 3 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 5PD 133 108 
			 Nottingham City PCT 5EM 83 63 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 5N8 120 91 
			 
			  West Midlands Strategic Health Authority area  1,269 994 
			 Birmingham East and North PCT 5PG 110 77 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT 5MD 52 37 
			 Dudley PCT 5PE 67 50 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 5MX 80 72 
			 Herefordshire PCT 5CN 32 25 
			 North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust RLY 1 1 
			 North Staffordshire PCT 5PH 48 39 
			 Sandwell PCT 5PF 72 64 
			 Shropshire County PCT 5M2 58 46 
			 Solihull Care Trust TAM 68 49 
			 South Birmingham PCT 5M1 63 53 
			 South Staffordshire Healthcare NHS Trust RRE 3 2 
			 South Staffordshire PCT 5PK 141 107 
			 Stoke on Trent Teaching PCT 5PJ 70 57 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT 5MK 42 31 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT 5M3 52 47 
			 Warwickshire PCT 5PM 108 78 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT 5MV 62 48 
			 Worcestershire PCT 5PL 140 108 
			 
			  East of England Strategic Health Authority area  1,095 847 
			 Bedfordshire PCT 5P2 84 66 
			 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust RT1 1 1 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 5PP 77 61 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 5P3 103 75 
			 East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust RWH 9 7 
			 Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust RDE 4 3 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveny Teaching PCT 5PR 48 39 
			 Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Trust RWR 0 0 
			 James Paget Healthcare NHS Trust RGP 1 1 
			 Luton PCT 5GC 34 29 
			 Mid Essex PCT 5PX 60 46 
			 Norfolk and Norwich Health Care NHS Trust RM1 1 1 
			 Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust RMY 1 1 
			 Norfolk PCT 5PQ 129 106 
			 North East Essex PCT 5PW 47 39 
			 Peterborough PCT 5PN 53 41 
			 South East Essex PCT 5P1 73 63 
			 South West Essex Teaching PCT SPY 92 73 
			 Suffolk PCT 5PT 103 71 
			 West Essex PCT 5PV 50 38 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 5P4 125 89 
			 
			  London Strategic Health Authority area  1,613 1,335 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 5C2 36 30 
			 Barnet PCT 5A9 31 23 
			 Bexley Care Trust TAK 52 40 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 5K5 48 43 
			 Bromley PCT 5A7 88 59 
			 Camden PCT 5K7 27 22 
			 City and Hackney PCT 5C3 49 40 
			 Croydon PCT 5K9 71 57 
			 Ealing PCT 5HX 67 57 
			 Enfield PCT 5C1 50 41 
			 Great Ormond Street Hospital For Sick Children NHS Trust RP4 0 0 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 5A8 57 49 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 5H1 59 48 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 5C9 46 38 
			 Harrow PCT 5K6 41 31 
			 Havering PCT 5A4 41 33 
			 Hillingdon PCT 5AT 57 40 
			 Hounslow PCT 5HY 31 27 
			 Islington PCT 5K8 35 32 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 5LA 37 28 
			 Kingston Hospital NHS Trust RAX 1 1 
			 Kingston PCT 5A5 30 23 
			 Lambeth PCT 5LD 40 39 
			 Lewisham PCT 5LF 79 68 
			 Newham PCT 5C5 46 42 
			 North East London Mental Health NHS Trust RAT 1 1 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust RV8 4 4 
			 Redbridge PCT 5NA 36 32 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 5M6 42 35 
			 Southwark PCT 5LE 82 73 
			 St. Mary's NHS Trust RJ5 1 1 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 5M7 105 81 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 5C4 53 49 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 5NC 45 37 
			 Wandsworth PCT 5LG 60 52 
			 Westminster PCT 5LC 65 57 
			 
			  South East Coast Strategic Health Authority area  778 583 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 5P7 72 53 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent Teaching PCT 5QA 146 112 
			 Hastings and Rother PCT 5P8 40 33 
			 Medway NHS Trust RPA 1 1 
			 Medway PCT 5L3 65 53 
			 South Downs Health NHS Trust RDR 81 57 
			 Surrey PCT 5P5 179 131 
			 West Kent PCT 5P9 49 39 
			 West Sussex Teaching PCT 5P6 145 105 
			 
			  South Central Strategic Health Authority area  856 626 
			 Berkshire East Teaching PCT 5QG 94 66 
			 Berkshire West PCT 5QF 109 75 
			 Buckinghamshire PCT 5QD 106 82 
			 Hampshire PCT 5QC 217 158 
			 Isle of Wight Healthcare PCT 5QT 16 13 
			 Milton Keynes PCT 5CQ 64 53 
			 Oxfordshire PCT 5QE 149 109 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 5FE 53 36 
			 Southampton City PCT 5L1 48 34 
			 
			  South West Strategic Health Authority area  1,137 843 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 5FL 46 33 
			 Bournemouth and Poole PCT 5QN 73 53 
			 Bristol Teaching PCT 5QJ 122 89 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 5QP 107 87 
			 Devon Partnership NHS Trust RWV 2 1 
			 Devon PCT 5QQ 125 97 
			 Dorset PCT 5QM 91 64 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 5QH 129 98 
			 North Somerset PCT 5M8 38 28 
			 Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust RK9 3 2 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT 5F1 65 47 
			 Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RDZ 1 1 
			 Somerset PCT 5QL 112 83 
			 South Devon Healthcare NHS Trust RA9 2 1 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT 5A3 55 38 
			 Swindon PCT 5K3 43 36 
			 Torbay Care Trust TAL 26 20 
			 Weston Area Health NHS Trust RA3 2 2 
			 Wiltshire PCT 5QK 95 65 
			  Note: Full-time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Health Visitors: Manpower

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health visitors have been employed in the NHS in each year since 1997; and how many have been employed under what organisational code in each NHS organisation in each of the last three years.

Ann Keen: The number of health visitors employed by the NHS from 1997 to 2007 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Headcount  Full-time equivalent 
			 1997 12,410 10,025 
			 1998 12,572 10,068 
			 1999 12,800 10,161 
			 2000 12,827 10,046 
			 2001 13,053 10,186 
			 2002 12,774 9,912 
			 2003 12,984 9,999 
			 2004 13,303 10,137 
			 2005 12,818 9,809 
			 2006(1) 12,034 9,376 
			 2007 11,569 9,056 
			 (1) More accurate validation in 2006 has resulted in 232 headcount duplicate records being identified and removed from the non-medical census.  Source: NHS Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census. 
		
	
	A table showing the number of health visitors employed under each organisational code from 2005 to 2007 has been placed in the Library.

HIV Infection

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people infected with HIV there were in  (a) England and  (b) Sefton in each year since 1996.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of diagnosed, HIV-infected individuals accessing NHS care by area of residence 
			   Area of residence 
			   England  Sefton primary care trust 
			 1997 14,532 20 
			 1998 16,157 26 
			 1999 18,183 23 
			 2000 20,572 28 
			 2001 23,894 33 
			 2002 28,816 38 
			 2003 33,724 58 
			 2004 38,277 53 
			 2005 43,353 75 
			 2006 48,062 75 
			 2007 52,138 85 
			  Notes: 1. Data are available from 1997 to 2007. Primary care trusts (PCT) did not exist until 2002 but data have been mapped retrospectively. 2. Data do not include HIV-infected individuals who have not yet been diagnosed. 3. Estimates of undiagnosed HIV infection, and therefore the total number of HIV-infected individuals, are not available by PCT.  Source: Health Protection Agency.

Hospital Beds

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 11 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2079W, on hospital beds, if he will make it his policy to collect and hold information from each NHS hospital trust on how many days each trust has been placed on its highest level of alert because of a shortage of beds; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: It is not the Department's policy to collect and hold information from each national health service hospital trust on how many days each trust has been placed on its highest level of alert because of a shortage of beds. It is for individual trusts to ensure they have the necessary bed capacity to treat patients.

Hospitals: Cleaning Services

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department and NHS organisations took to improve levels of hospital cleanliness in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08; and how much was spent on such activities in each year.

Ann Keen: Patients have a right to clean safe care and the national health service is working hard to ensure that hospitals are clean and safe for patients. The results of the most recent Healthcare Commission in-patient survey reflect this hard work with the NHS achieving its highest ever cleanliness rating.
	During the two years in question, the Department took a number of key steps to improve hospital cleanliness including:
	the provision of £62.6 million funding for a deep clean of all hospitals in 2007-08;
	the requirement that trusts' strategic and operational cleaning plans make provision for on-going deep clean activity;
	all NHS bodies being subject to Health Act 2006 Code of Practice on the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, which came into force on 1 October 2006;
	Healthcare Commission inspections against the duties set out in the code which require NHS bodies to have appropriate management and clinical governance systems in place to deliver effective infection control;
	a national cleanliness summit held in February 2008, hosted by the NHS Chief Executive to discuss key national issues related to hospital cleaning;
	an increase in the number of matrons, to 5,000 in May 2008, with more powers over cleaning and matrons and clinical directors reporting to Trust boards on a quarterly basis on infection control and cleanliness;
	publication of 'Board to Ward' guidance highlighting the commitment needed to ensure that all staff understand the role they play in preventing infections and providing a clean environment. A copy has been placed in the Library;
	the revision of the national specifications for cleanliness in the NHS setting the standard of cleanliness expected across a range of elements that need cleaning, together with suggested cleaning frequencies;
	enhancement of patient environment action teams (PEAT) assessment of hospital cleanliness to contain an element relating to year round cleanliness; and
	the publication of the strategy document , Clean Safe Care Reducing Infections and saving lives drawing together key initiatives to tackle healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) and cleanliness. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
	During the period in question, the NHS spent a total of £1.383 billion on cleaning and cleaning services with expenditure of £663 million in 2006-07 rising to £720 million in 2007-08.

Hospitals: ICT

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many hospitals are connected to the national NHS IT system;
	(2)  what timetable has been set for hospital trusts to introduce the national NHS IT system.

Ben Bradshaw: The NHS IT programme is delivering front-line systems and services that are providing major benefits for national health service organisations in England, staff and patients, enabling significant changes in the way the NHS operates, and delivering major system reform. All acute trusts have at least one system which has been delivered through the programme.
	As at the end of February 2009, a total of 146 patient administration systems had been deployed as part of the programme to 45 acute, 24 mental health and 77 primary care trusts. Information on which of the organisations concerned include a hospital site, and which may have more than one hospital site, is not held centrally.
	It is not possible to provide comprehensive details of the future number, location and sequencing of future deployments. This is because meeting the needs and priorities of individual trusts that are maintaining normal business operations requires flexibility in deployment planning, and inevitably means that plans will always be subject to potential change. Detailed implementation planning became the responsibility of individual trusts and the chief executives of strategic health authorities from April 2007. Taking the country as a whole, however, as reported in the National Audit Office 16 May 2008 report on the programme, it is likely to be 2014-15 before all trusts have fully-deployed care records systems, though some should receive the final releases of the software in late 2009.

Learning Disability

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis the sum to be transferred from his Department to local authorities when they take responsibility for support for learning disabled people will be calculated.

Phil Hope: From April 2011 the intention is that allocations of social care resources will be made directly from the Department to local authorities. We will consider the best way of achieving the allocation beyond 2011 once primary care trusts and local authorities have reported the outcome of their local agreements and the results have been analysed at a national level. The Department will consult on the determination of these allocations before its intention to allocate directly to local authorities is implemented.

Lung Cancer: North West

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1497-8W, on cancer, what steps his Department is taking  (a) to reduce the incidence of lung cancer and  (b) to reduce the incidence of smoking by young people under the age of 16 years in the North West.

Ann Keen: The cancer reform strategy, published in December 2007, sets out guidance to the local national health service on how to improve cancer prevention, speed up the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, reduce inequalities, improve the experience of people living with and beyond cancer, ensure care is delivered in the most appropriate settings and ensure patients can access effective new treatments quickly. It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) to use the funds made available to them and work in partnership with strategic health authorities, local services, cancer networks and other local stakeholders to deliver these aims. Information on the work being done in the north-west can be obtained from the individual PCTs directly.
	Through the cancer reform strategy's national awareness and early diagnosis initiative, the Department, in partnership with Cancer Research UK, is co-ordinating a programme to support local interventions to increase cancer symptom awareness, and encourage people to seek help early.
	'High Quality Care for All', the final report of the NHS next stage review, said that every PCT will commission comprehensive wellbeing and prevention services, in partnership with local authorities, with personalised services offered to meet the specific needs of their local populations. It stated that efforts must be focused on a number of key goals, including reducing smoking rates.
	Reducing smoking among young people is a priority for the Government. Much has already been achieved in this area, including raising the age of sale of tobacco products and legislation to strengthen sanctions available against retailers who persistently sell tobacco to children and young people. Smoking is also addressed in the national curriculum and through the healthy schools programme.
	Protecting children and young people from smoking was one of four key aspects of the Department's consultation on the future of tobacco control published on 31 May 2008. Responses to the consultation are informing the development of a new strategy on tobacco control, which will include action to continue to tackle the uptake of smoking by young people.
	The Government this year are taking forward tobacco control legislation intended to protect and support young people in the Health Bill. The Health Bill includes a prohibition on the display of tobacco products, which will help to eliminate the marketing of tobacco products, to which young people are susceptible. The Bill will also provide powers to restrict or ban the sale of tobacco from vending machines, removing a major source of tobacco for young people.
	Local stop smoking services are able to provide a range of support options to anyone wanting to quit smoking, including young people. Resources are also available that can be accessed by smokers direct on smoking cessation, these include the national health service 'gosmokefree' website and from the general NHS smoking helpline (0800 169 0169).

Maternity Services

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what proportion of pregnancies where a home birth had been requested resulted in a hospital delivery in 2007-08;
	(2)  what proportion of births were home deliveries in  (a) 2000-01 and  (b) 2007-08;
	(3)  how many maternity beds there were in England in  (a) 2000 and  (b) 2008.

Ann Keen: The Office for National Statistics publishes home birth statistics. The latest available data are for the calendar year 2007 and can be found in Birth Statistics, Series FM1, table 8.1.
	The information in the table is summarised as follows.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of women giving birth at home( 1) , England and Wales, 2000-07 
			   Number of women giving birth at home  Total number of women giving birth  Percentage of women giving birth at home 
			 2000 12,803 598,580 2.1 
			 2001 12,115 588,868 2.1 
			 2002 12,697 590,453 2.2 
			 2003 13,590 615,787 2.2 
			 2004 14,506 633,728 2.3 
			 2005 16,501 639,627 2.6 
			 2006 18,100 662,915 2.7 
			 2007 19,594 682,999 2.9 
			 (1) The figures provided show the number and percentage of women who gave birth at home i.e. home maternities, rather than the number of babies born at home. A maternity is a pregnancy resulting in the birth of one or more live-born or stillborn babies.  Source:  Office for National Statistics 
		
	
	The numbers of planned home births that resulted in a hospital delivery are not collected centrally.
	The average daily number of available maternity beds in England was 10,203 in 1999-2000, 9,767 in 2000-01 and 8,441 in 2007-08. This period has seen shorter hospital stays and a growth in maternity day assessment units, where women at high risk can be monitored during the day but are able to return home at night.
	 Source:
	Department of Health form KH03

Maternity Services: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the tariff uplift breakdown for 2009-10, published by his Department on 5 February 2009, and pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1378W, on maternity services: finance, under what tariff headings the additional funding his Department plans to provide for maternity services in 2009-10 is included.

Ann Keen: Additional funding for maternity services in 2009-10 is not included in the tariff uplift breakdown for 2009-10, as this is the general uplift applied to all tariff prices. Instead, money has been targeted at maternity services, including a £20 million uplift to the maternity out-patient attendance tariff.
	Further information on this funding can be found in paragraphs 20 and 21 of the "Payment by Results Guidance for 2009-10", which has been placed in the Library.

Medical Records: Data Protection

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS staff have accessed the NHS spine without appropriate authorisation in each of the last three years.

Ben Bradshaw: Access to the national health service care record 'spine' is strictly controlled by the use of smartcards, which are only issued on proof of identity and residence. The smartcards contain role-based profiles that restrict access to patient information depending on the role performed.
	There are clear processes for NHS trusts to follow in the administration of smartcards and for adherence to information governance standards. However, legal responsibility for the secure handling and managing of patient data rests with individual NHS organisations.
	Details of which staff have been authorised by their employing organisation, and which staff have not been so authorised, are therefore held locally, not by the Department. The cost of collecting and maintaining this information centrally would be considerable and disproportionate to the benefit in doing so. However, there is no evidence that inappropriate access currently happens other than very exceptionally.

Mental Health Services

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were re-admitted into a mental health hospital in each year since 1997.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not held centrally.

Mental Health Services: Restraint Techniques

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times restraint was used on a mental health patient in each Strategic Health Authority area in each year since 1997; and on how many such occasions the incident was not logged within 24 hours.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not held centrally.

NHS Foundation Trusts

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which categories of patient services NHS Foundation Trust hospitals have decided to  (a) commence and  (b) terminate since their inception.

Ben Bradshaw: We are informed by the chairman of Monitor (the statutory name of which is the independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts (NHS FTs) that his organisation does not hold a list of all services commenced and terminated by NHS FTs. However, all NHS FTs are required to provide details of the services that have been agreed with their primary care trust (PCT). These are listed as 'mandatory services' in the NHS FT's terms of authorisation.
	Any changes to the mandatory services listed in the terms of authorisation including termination of specific services requires approval from Monitor and can be done only once those changes have been agreed between the PCT and the NHS FT.

NHS: Legal Costs

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS spent on defending legal proceedings taken against it by private individuals seeking to reverse local decisions on health provision and facilities in 2007-08.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not held centrally.

NHS: Manpower

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) nurses and  (b) doctors there were in each NHS Trust in each year from 2000 to 2007, with data adjusted to reflect the current configuration of trusts.

Ann Keen: The information could be provided in the form requested only at a disproportionate cost. An unadjusted table containing the number of doctors and nurses in each national health service trust for the years requested has been placed in the Library.

NHS: Redundancy Pay

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many senior managers given redundancy payments as part of the last primary care trust reorganisation are working in another part of the NHS.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Patient Choice Schemes

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of doctors in each health trust have used the choose and book system in each month since the introduction of the scheme.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not collect the data on the proportion of general practitioners (GPs) using choose and book. The Department does collect data on the number of GP practices using choose and book, which is shown in the document Percentage of GP Practices using Choose and Book monthly by primary care trust, which has been placed in the Library.

Patient Choice Schemes

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of appointments have been made using the choose and book system in each health trust in each month since the scheme was introduced.

Ben Bradshaw: Data on the percentage of appointments made to consultant-led out-patient appointments following a general practitioner (GP) referral using the Choose and Book system in each primary care trust (PCT) in each month since April 2006 are shown in the document, Percentage of GP referrals to first outpatient appointments made using Choose and Book, monthly by primary care trust, which has been placed in the Library.
	Prior to April 2006, the Department did not calculate utilisation at a primary care trust level.

Perinatal Mortality: Research

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has allocated to spending on research into the prevention of stillbirth in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) each of the subsequent three years; which research projects are being funded; where these projects are being carried out; and how much is planned to be spent on each project.

Dawn Primarolo: Estimated expenditure in 2008-09 by the Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and its Policy Research Programme (PRP) on research related to stillbirth is £2.2 million.(1) Further details are shown in the following table.
	(1) Excludes the cost of the one National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit work stream of which stillbirth research forms a part.
	
		
			  Funding stream  Project title/research theme  Principal investigator and location  Total cost (£) 
			 NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme Antenatal screening for group B streptococcus colonisation—protocol development Professor Peter Brocklehurst, University of Oxford 30,590 
			 NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme Double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial of nicotine replacement therapy(NRT) in pregnancy Dr. Tim Coleman, University Hospital Nottingham 1,355,640 
			 
			 NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme Accuracy and cost effectiveness of rapid diagnosis of Group-B streptococcus during labour Dr. James William Gray, Birmingham Women's Health Care NHS Foundation Trust 712,686 
			 
			 NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme A multicentre randomised controlled trial of an intelligent system to support decision making in the management of labour using the cardiotocogram Professor Peter Brocklehurst, University of Oxford 5,957,981 
			 
			 NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme Methods of prediction and prevention of pre-eclampsia—Systematic reviews of accuracy and effectiveness literature with economic modelling Professor Khalid Khan, University of Birmingham 319,054 
			 
			 NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme A pragmatic randomized controlled trial of physical activity as an aid to smoking cessation during pregnancy Dr. Michael Ussher, St. George's, University of London 1,182,613 
			 
			 NIHR biomedical research centres Women's health and the newborn Professor I. Jacobs, University College London 4,791,962 
			 
			 NIHR biomedical research centres Reproductive medicine and development Professor Nicholas Fisk, Imperial College 2,344,680 
			 
			 NIHR biomedical research centres Women's health Gordon C. S. Smith, University of Cambridge 1,060,556 
			 
			 NIHR genetics programme Exploring the potential of family networks as a resource for genetic testing and counselling in a community with a preference for cousin marriage A. Darr, University of Bradford 231,000 
			 
			 PRP The Northern congenital abnormality survey: a collaborative survey of congenital anomalies in the Northern region Dr. Judith Rankin, University of Newcastle 427,174 
		
	
	Information in respect of Medical Research Council (MRC) expenditure in this area in 2008-09 is not yet available.
	The usual practice of the Department's NIHR and of the MRC is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics: research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available. Future levels of expenditure on stillbirth research will be determined by the success of relevant bids for funding.

Prescription Drugs: Costs

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS of unused prescribed drugs and medicines was in 2007-08.

Dawn Primarolo: Research to determine the scale and cost of waste medicines is progressing. The research findings are expected later in 2009 and will inform the development of Government policy for influencing both health professionals and members of the public to reduce the amount of unwanted medicines and provide better value for money for the national health service.
	The Department currently supports a range of initiatives including repeat dispensing and medicines use reviews, through the contractual framework for community pharmacy, where pharmacists help patients get the most from their medicines, while at the same time minimising wastage by optimising use.

Prescriptions

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many FP10 forms have been lost in transit from pharmacists to the Prescriptions Pricing Division of the NHS Business Services Authority in each year since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: The NHS Prescription Services of the NHS Business Services Authority are aware of 241 separate instances, from April 1997 to November 2008, where batches of FP10 prescription forms, submitted for reimbursement by pharmacies in England to NHS Prescription Services, were lost, in transit to NHS Prescription Services.
	Where forms have been lost or stolen, NHS Prescription Services or pharmacies followed this up with the postal service, courier or the police as appropriate.
	On this basis, the number of FP10 forms estimated by NHS Prescription Services as lost or stolen in transit from pharmacists to the NHS Prescription Services are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year  Estimated number of FPIO prescribing forms lost or stolen in transit from pharmacies to the NHS Prescription Services (England) (thousand)( 1)  Number of FP10 forms processed for pharmacies in England (thousand)  Number of FP10 forms lost as a % of the total number of FP10s processed for pharmacies in England 
			 1997-98 17.0 (2)227,000.0 0.01 
			 1998-99 14.1 (2)234,000.0 0.01 
			 1999-00 17.7 (2)241,000.0 0.01 
			 2000-01 61.5 (2)251,000.0 0.03 
			 2001-02 28.7 (2)267,000.0 0.01 
			 2002-03 11.9 (2)278,000.0 <0.01 
			 2003-04 24.2 (2)306,000.0 0.01 
			 2004-05 55.0 320,995.4 0.02 
			 2005-06 10.1 334,424.1 <0.01 
			 2006-07 30.8 345,053.7 0.01 
			 2007-08 45.8 360,105.4 0.02 
			 2008(3) 46.6 250,770.9 0.02 
			 Total 363.6 3,413,349.5 0.01 
			 (1) This figure is based on FP10 forms from pharmacies in England, but which may include FP10 forms written in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man but dispensed in England (2) Estimated number of FP10 forms processed for pharmacies in England. (3) April to November  Source:  NHS Prescription Services

Ritalin: Children

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children have been prescribed Ritalin in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: This information is not collected centrally.

Sickle Cell Diseases

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to build capacity in the voluntary sector to support patients with sickle cell disease.

Ann Keen: The voluntary sector has an important role to play in the development of services closer to home for people with long-term conditions such as sickle cell and thalassaemia (haemoglobin disorders).
	We are already working with key stakeholder organisations, such as the Sickle Cell Society and the UK Thalassaemia Society, to develop a clinical service model for haemoglobin disorders. We will give further consideration to how best we can facilitate support for the voluntary sector to develop capacity in community services.

Social Services

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether care home residents who are in receipt of personal expenses allowance have received  (a) the one-off payment of £60 and  (b) the one-off payment of £10 to Christmas bonus recipients; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The Department for Work and Pensions pays the Christmas bonus according to entitlement rules in the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992. To be eligible to receive the Christmas bonus for 2008-09, individuals must be living in the United Kingdom or elsewhere in the European Union or the European economic area and be entitled to receive certain benefits in the week commencing 22 December 2008.
	The personal expenses allowance (PEA) is not a benefit but the amount of the resident's own money which he or she must be left with after charges for residential care have been deducted. People who get PEA only receive the Christmas bonus if they meet the entitlement rules. However, any care home resident who is eligible to receive the Christmas bonus will receive it in full, as it is disregarded from the financial assessment for charging for residential care.
	The Department does not hold information on the number of people receiving PEA who have received the Christmas bonus.

Social Services: Finance

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1349W, on autism, what plans he has to ensure that individual budgets are effective for people with  (a) sensory impairments and  (b) autism;
	(2)  what steps he plans to take to ensure local authority resource allocation systems for individual budgets reflect the needs of people with  (a) sensory impairments,  (b) autism and  (c) complex needs.

Phil Hope: As part of the programme to transform adult social care, local authorities are expected to provide personal budgets to all adults eligible to receive social care over the period 2008-11. This will include people with autism and sensory impairments. From April 2009, we will be consulting on a new national strategy for autism. Local authorities will need to take into account any requirements arising from the strategy when providing personal budgets to people with autism.
	Practical guides issued by the Department to help local authorities develop resource allocation systems for personal budgets advise councils to consult advocacy groups and other groups representing disabled people and older people, and representatives of carers. The needs of all service users, including people with autism, sensory impairment and complex needs, should be reflected in the questions included in the self-assessment which forms the basis of the resource allocation system.

Sunbeds

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent children from using sun-beds in tanning shops; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will introduce legislation to ban the unsupervised use of sun-bed machines; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will introduce legislation to ban the use of coin-operated sun-bed machines; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government advise against the use of sunbeds for cosmetic purposes, particularly by minors, including the use of unsupervised or coin-operated sunbeds. The Cancer Reform Strategy commits the Government to reviewing options for possible regulation of the sunbed industry, but firstly to gather information to inform the review. This is currently under way.

Teenage Pregnancy

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department  (a) has undertaken,  (b) plans to take and  (c) has evaluated on the effect of greater access to family planning on numbers of underage (i) conceptions and (ii) abortions; when his Department last undertook an evidential review of the issue that drew on (A) UK and (B) international research; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The "1999 Social Exclusion Unit Teenage Pregnancy Report" on which the teenage pregnancy strategy is based references the evidence and research papers that informed the development of the strategy. The teenage pregnancy strategy is multi-faceted and is based on the best international evidence on what works.
	One of the priority actions identified in the 1999 report was to ensure effective advice and contraception for young people. The strategy has continued to develop over time and relevant national and international evidence is kept under review to inform the development of the strategy. There is increasing evidence that contraception can have a significant impact on teenage conceptions. Research published in the "American Journal of Public Health" in 2006 found that 86 per cent. of the decline in United States teenage pregnancy rates between 1995 and 2002 could be attributed to improved contraceptive use.

Teenage Pregnancy

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which  (a) individuals and  (b) organisations who were sent copies of Healthy lives brighter futures: The strategy for children and young people's health; at what cost; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much was spent by his Department on  (a) researching and  (b) producing Healthy lives brighter futures: The strategy for children and young people's health; who his Department consulted before (i) drafting and (ii) publishing it; who drafted the publication; what input Ministers in his Department had; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: All chief executives of primary care trusts and directors for children and learners at each regional Government offices in England were sent a copy of "Healthy lives, brighter futures: The strategy for children and young people's health" and the "Securing better health for children and young people through world class commissioning" documents. In addition to this we sent a copy of each to a number of organisations. A list of these organisations are shown as follows. Both documents have already been placed in the Library and are also available from the Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families websites, where hard copies may be ordered.
	The cost of production of the strategy and the commissioning document, including VAT, totalled £82,879. The cost of packing, handling and posting hard copies of the documents, including VAT, totalled £2,708.91.
	"Healthy lives, brighter futures" built on a large body of existing research and no new research was commissioned specifically for the strategy. The Secretaries of State for Health and Children, Schools and Families were involved at key stages in the development of the strategy. Both Secretaries of State hosted a deliberative event for parents and teenagers in June 2008, and further deliberative events were held with other groups, including child health professionals and parents of children with complex health needs. The cost of these events totalled £125,120.07, including VAT. Other work to develop the strategy was carried out by officials from the Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families and through a range of meetings with stakeholders. Costs for this work cannot be identified separately.
	Addaction
	Adfam
	Alcohol Concern
	Barnardo's
	British Medical Association
	Commission for Social Care Inspection
	Children's Rights Director for England
	Children's Society
	The National Child and Maternal Health Observatory
	The Institute of Child Health
	Local Government Association
	Mentor UK
	National Childbirth Trust
	National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
	The Royal College of Surgeons
	Royal College of General Practitioners
	The Royal College of Midwives
	The Royal College of Nursing
	The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
	Unite: Community Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association
	Young Minds
	County Durham and Darlington (Family Nurse Partnership Lead)
	Cabinet Office
	The National Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Support Service
	Children's Hospices UK
	Fair-Play for Children's Hospices: c/o Shooting Stars children's hospice
	Action for Sick Children
	Children's Society
	Whizz-kidz
	National Youth Agency
	Family and Parenting Institute
	Hull PCT and Local Authority Commissioning Lead for Children and Young People
	National CAMHS Strategic Relationships and Programme Manager
	Association of Young People's Health (President)
	Bradford College: Healthy Further Education Steering Group
	Learning and Skills Improvement Service
	Youth Sports Trust
	Teenage Pregnancy Independent Advisory Group
	British Heart Foundation (Obesity stakeholder)
	Asthma UK
	Diabetes UK
	Training and Development Agency
	ContinYou
	Pre-school Learning Alliance (PLA)
	Daycare Trust (DCT)
	All Local Authority Chief Executives
	All Primary Care Trust (PCT) Chief Executives
	All regional Government Office Directors for Children and Learners

West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on administration by West Hertfordshire NHS Hospital Trust in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: The following table shows the administration costs at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust for the period 2003-04 to 2007-08 (the last five years for which information is available).
	
		
			   Administrative costs (£000) 
			 2007-08 19,123 
			 2006-07 19,935 
			 2005-06 18,607 
			 2004-05 19,922 
			 2003-04 17,525 
			  Source: The administrative costs figures are taken from the financial returns of NHS trusts. The financial returns data is not audited but is validated to the audited summarisations schedules.

Westminster City Council

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what grants his Department has given to Westminster City Council in each year since 2005-06; what sums were awarded in each grant; in what categories the grant has been made; and how much has been allocated for grants in 2009-10.

Phil Hope: The following table sets out the Adult Personal Social Services grants issued to Westminster local authority by the Department, between 2005-06 and 2009-10.
	
		
			  Grants 2005-06 to 2009-10 
			  £ million 
			  Westminster  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			  Revenue  
			  Ringfenced specific grants  
			 Access and systems capacity 3.093 2.892 2.989 — — 
			 Aids support 0.397 0.372 0.339 0.405 (1)— 
			 CSCI reimbursement 0.003 0.005 0.005 — — 
			 Delayed discharges 0.530 0.550 0.556 — — 
			 Dignity in care — — 0.220 — — 
			 Human resources development strategy 0.450 0.342 0.333 — — 
			 Individual budget pilots — 0 0 — — 
			 Learning disabilities: closure of campuses — — — 0.039 0.086 
			 National training strategy 0.661 0.739 0.719 — — 
			 Partnerships for older people projects (POPP) — 0 0 — — 
			 Preventative technology — 0.168 0.279 — — 
			 Residential allowance 0.788 — — — — 
			 Smokefree legislation — 0.064 0.317 — — 
			 Social care reform grant — — — 0.508 1.200 
			 Standards fund (healthy schools) — — 0.061 — — 
			 Stroke strategy — — — 0.098 0.098 
			 Support for emergency respite care — — 0.166 — — 
			 Subtotal 5.922 5.132 5.984 1.050 1.384 
			   
			  Contribution to area based grant  
			 Adult social care workforce — — — 0.818 0.850 
			 Carers 1.296 1.261 1.227 1.380 1.500 
			 Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) 0.811 0.827 0.844 0.614 0.673 
			 Learning disability development fund — — — 0.327 0.333 
			 Local involvement networks (LINks) — — 0.010 0.174 0.176 
			 Mental Capacity Act and independent mental capacity — — — — — 
			 Advocate service — 0.086 0.097 0.154 0.196 
			 Mental health 1.093 1.099 1.034 1.043 1.118 
			 Preserved rights 2.051 1.789 1.692 1.616 1.567 
			 Subtotal 5.251 5.062 4.904 6.125 6.413 
			   
			 Total revenue grants 11.173 10.194 10.888 7.175 7.797 
			   
			  Capital  
			  Single Capital Pot  
			 Supported capital expenditure (R) single capital pot 0.156 0.160 0.166 — — 
			 Supported capital expenditure (R) mental health 0.184 0.179 0.174 — — 
			 Single capital pot - social care element (non-ringfenced) — — — 0.151 0.151 
			 Single capital pot - mental health element (non- ringfenced) — — — 0.163 0.165 
			 Subtotal 0.340 0.339 0.340 0.314 0.316 
			   
			  Ringfenced Specific Capital Grants  
			 AIDS/HIV 0 0 0 0 (1)— 
			 Common assessment framework — — — (1)— (1)— 
			 Extra care housing grant — 0 0 0 0 
			 Improving information management grant 0.183 0.178 0.173 — — 
			 Social care information technology infrastructure — — — 0.093 0.100 
			 Subtotal 0.183 0.178 0.173 0.093 0.099987 
			   
			 Total capital grants 0.523 0.517 0.513 0.407 0.416 
			 (1) Not allocated to date

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Apprentices: Darlington

Alan Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many new  (a) apprenticeships and  (b) training places are planned to be made available for people in Darlington constituency in the next 12 months.

Si�n Simon: Information on planned apprenticeship and training volumes is available at national level only.
	Table 1 as follows shows FE and skills participation for the Darlington local authority area in 2007-08, the latest complete year for which fully audited information is available. This information is not available by parliamentary constituency.
	Table 2 as follows shows apprenticeship starts for the Darlington parliamentary constituency in 2007-08.
	
		
			  Table 1: FE and skills participation, Darlington local authority, 2007/08 (provisional) 
			  Age  Number 
			 16-18 2,800 
			 19+ 5,900 
			 All learners 8,800 
			  Notes: 1. Volumes are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. These figures include FE, University for Industry, WBL (including apprenticeships, entry to employment), train to gain and adult safeguarded learning. 3. Final 2007/08 data will be published in March 2009. 4. This table uses learner volumes as a measure for comparative purposes. Full-year numbers are a count of the number of learners that participated at any point during the year. 5. Learners that are included in different data collections e.g. a learner undertaking an apprenticeship and a train to gain qualification, will be counted twice in this table. 6. Age is calculated based upon age as at 31 August of the academic year. 7. Local authority is based on home postcode of the learner. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Apprenticeship starts in Darlington p arliamentary constituency, 2007/ 08 
			  Age  Number 
			 Below 19 290 
			 19+ 340 
			 All learners 630 
			  Notes: 1. Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. These figures include WBL (apprenticeships only). 3. This table uses programme starts as a measure for comparative purposes. Full-year numbers are a count of the number of starts at any point during the year. Learners starting more than one course will appear more than once. 4. Parliamentary constituency is based on home postcode of the learner.  Source:  WBL ILR. 
		
	
	The Government are committed to rebuilding apprenticeships. Since 1997 we have witnessed a renaissance in apprenticeships from a low point of 65,000 to a record 225,000 apprenticeship starts in 2007/08. Completion rates are also at a record high with 64 per cent. successfully completing an apprenticeshipup from 37 per cent. in 2004/05. A remarkable achievement.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much has been claimed in reimbursable expenses by special advisers in his Department in 2008-09 to date.

Si�n Simon: Special advisers have claimed 1,770.74 in reimbursable expenses in 2008-09.
	Special advisers are temporary civil servants and are therefore entitled to claim expenses available to other civil servants. Guidance on claiming expenses can be found in chapter 8 of the civil service guide:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/iam/codes/csmc/online_report/8.asp

Higher Education: Admissions

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people resident in Manchester, Withington constituency were admitted to universities in England in 2008.

David Lammy: In the 2007/08 academic year 1,760 students were admitted to English Higher Education Institutions from Manchester Withington parliamentary constituency. This figure covers entrants to higher education courses of all levels and modes and has been rounded to the nearest five. This figure has been taken from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record and is based on a standard registration population.
	Figures for the 2008/09 academic year will be available in January 2010.

Higher Education: Admissions

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many residents of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne enrolled in higher education institutions on a  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time basis in (i) 1997, (ii) 2002 and (iii) 2008.

David Lammy: The latest available information is shown in the following table. Figures for the 2008/09 academic year will be available in January 2010.
	
		
			  Enrolments( 1)  from Newcastle Upon Tyne local authority by mode of study UK  higher education institutionsa cademic years 1997/98, 2002/03 and 2007/08 
			   Full-time  Part-time 
			 1997/98 3,730 3,335 
			 2002/03 4,370 3,230 
			 2007/08 4,765 3,455 
			 (1) Covers enrolments on all levels of study.  Note: Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December and are rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Higher Education: Admissions

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) home and EU full-time students,  (b) overseas non-EU full-time students and  (c) home and EU part-time students enrolled at higher education institutions in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in (i) 1997, (ii) 2002 and (iii) 2008.

David Lammy: The latest available information is shown in the following table. Figures for the 2008/09 academic year will be available in January 2010.
	
		
			  Enrolments at the university of Northumbria and the university of Newcastle by domicile and mode of study: UK higher education institutionsacademic years 1997/98, 2002/03 and 2007/08 
			  Institution  Domicile  Mode  1997/98  2002/03  2007/08 
			 University of Northumbria UK Full-time 11,975 13,690 15,425 
			   Part-time 5,520 6,685 6,925 
			   
			  EU Full-time 940 755 700 
			   Part-time 75 190 165 
			   
			  Non-EU Full-time 990 1,655 2,780 
			   Part-time 80 260 935 
			   
			 University of Newcastle UK Full-time 10,185 12,135 14,145 
			   Part-time 3,800 2,200 1,355 
			   
			  EU Full-time 710 745 955 
			   Part-time 60 135 110 
			   
			  Non-EU Full-time 1,135 1,955 2,280 
			   Part-time 150 195 100 
			  Note: Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December and have been rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Higher Education: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much has been paid to each higher education institution through the Access to Learning Fund in each year since 2005-06.

David Lammy: Payments to individual higher education institutions for the Access to Learning Fund for academic years 2005/06 to 2008/09 are listed in the following table.
	
		
			  Access to Learning Fund payments to higher education institutions (includes March 2009 scheduled payment) 
			  Institution name  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Anglia Ruskin University 1,116,696 1,063,420 812,139 685,360 
			 Aston University 289,237 241,845 228,461 167,826 
			 University of Bath 278,680 182,141 197,262 162,286 
			 Bath Spa University 500,462 375,394 309,263 262,465 
			 University of Bedfordshire 456,700 578,664 558,312 470,924 
			 Birkbeck College 50,532 339,385 450,994 594,240 
			 University of Birmingham 733,953 679,866 638,096 514,265 
			 Birmingham City University 1,374,943 1,302,098 1,102,614 933,787 
			 University College Birmingham 107,095 162,208 150,085 173,757 
			 Bishop Grosseteste University College, Lincoln 158,674 128,338 101,018 75,127 
			 University of Bolton 519,321 469,456 334,776 346,887 
			 Arts Institute at Bournemouth 71,341 86,941 78,649 61,565 
			 Bournemouth University 564,214 582,350 495,621 414,161 
			 University of Bradford 485,923 606,857 476,048 400,309 
			 University of Brighton 753,928 818,413 469,634 450,352 
			 University of Bristol 328,942 210,501 301,304 236,070 
			 Brunei University 626,369 439,091 233,793 204,839 
			 Buckinghamshire New University 383,446 342,259 246,524 210,483 
			 University of Cambridge 571,500 309,796 310,616 143,401 
			 Institute of Cancer Research 1,240 2,375 2,022 -3,157 
			 Canterbury Christ Church University 729,503 662,068 516,757 471,743 
			 University of Central Lancashire 1,302,246 661,382 598,355 865,275 
			 Central School of Speech and Drama 57,715 37,916 25,842 27,441 
			 University of Chester 477,729 514,494 510,791 334,972 
			 University of Chichester 308,187 154,880 160,885 170,082 
			 City University, London 345,365 468,653 501,646 294,295 
			 Courtauld Institute of Art 10,153 8,172 8,845 1,716 
			 Coventry University 748,539 728,351 660,725 519,621 
			 Cranfield University 58,813 56,338 51,319 32,590 
			 University for the Creative Arts 290,823 215,726 187,577 163,010 
			 University of Cumbria 0 0 445,666 339,692 
			 Cumbria Institute (now part of University of Cumbria) 51,366 59,645 0 0 
			 St. Martin's College H.E. (now part of University of Cumbria) 470,290 394,837 0 0 
			 Conservatoire for Dance and Drama 45,465 43,236 34,076 20,762 
			 De Montfort University 1,289,337 860,860 751,798 600,616 
			 University of Derby 962,335 870,599 732,608 603,723 
			 University of Durham 427,085 370,968 238,873 195,615 
			 University of East Anglia 433,769 595,369 739,903 586,982 
			 University of East London 1,078,995 1,080,188 940,620 913,000 
			 Edge Hill University 865,326 570,657 586,648 533,737 
			 Institute of Education 169,064 58,509 69,785 48,752 
			 University of Essex 353,687 359,769 286,948 286,053 
			 University of Exeter 474,217 359,713 352,993 260,308 
			 University College Falmouth 195,112 147,758 131,896 118,365 
			 Dartington College of Arts (now part of University College Falmouth) 53,525 38,435 27,976 0 
			 University of Gloucestershire 417,716 287,372 265,475 204,422 
			 Goldsmiths College, University of London 412,786 310,097 272,546 206,315 
			 University of Greenwich 1,207,557 1,174,148 874,673 733,177 
			 Guildhall School of Music and Drama 0 15,773 22,923 16,748 
			 Harper Adams University College 60,338 34,145 42,650 41,941 
			 University of Hertfordshire 479,683 686,428 644,330 502,074 
			 Heythrop College 0 12,384 18,783 20,857 
			 University of Huddersfield 1,050,536 1,073,647 839,096 750,620 
			 University of Hull 987,234 796,213 618,118 535,937 
			 Imperial College London 337,891 193,524 210,831 149,654 
			 Keele University 346,756 256,518 267,549 200,716 
			 University of Kent 649,723 536,643 487,974 409,310 
			 King's College London 558,983 622,746 447,088 324,795 
			 Kingston University 974,362 894,346 753,477 585,854 
			 Lancaster University 371,800 251,217 177,385 163,992 
			 University of Leeds 1,188,086 856,804 760,178 558,472 
			 Leeds Metropolitan University 1,097,250 1,010,919 656,889 632,898 
			 Leeds College of Music 39,321 23,151 20,264 20,006 
			 Leeds Trinity and All Saints 138,028 114,420 106,833 78,034 
			 University of Leicester 485,305 407,419 367,240 302,221 
			 University of Lincoln 808,428 592,583 410,940 339,980 
			 University of Liverpool 762,939 568,826 492,662 376,041 
			 Liverpool Hope University 579,311 533,802 358,844 305,560 
			 Liverpool John Moores University 1,102,333 869,951 796,724 706,936 
			 Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts 0 13,520 18,358 7,233 
			 University of the Arts London 525,534 605,308 479,699 438,301 
			 Wimbledon College of Art (now part of University of the Arts London) 45,249 0 0 0 
			 University of London 8,287 6,552 5,415 3,561 
			 London Business School 11,966 27,105 17,817 9,600 
			 London School of Economics and Political Science 83,894 92,001 77,760 52,777 
			 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine 4,157 18,725 14,460 10,257 
			 London Metropolitan University 1,378,819 1,153,917 833,003 834,760 
			 London South Bank University 787,410 767,377 900,243 648,460 
			 Loughborough University 424,387 275,832 293,965 206,445 
			 University of Manchester 1,212,946 951,515 891,336 635,577 
			 Manchester Metropolitan University 1,887,620 1,450,274 1,330,281 990,490 
			 Middlesex University 1,055,117 868,101 856,205 624,237 
			 University of Newcastle upon Tyne 380,296 235,228 287,441 206,217 
			 Newman University College 225,682 139,740 92,698 90,094 
			 University of Northampton 496,967 474,649 326,439 356,191 
			 University of Northumbria at Newcastle 1,082,794 1,088,932 836,727 687,785 
			 Norwich University College of the Arts 75,102 58,325 51,778 33,988 
			 University of Nottingham 552,448 673,473 595,251 560,031 
			 Nottingham Trent University 1,173,955 943,582 685,815 563,920 
			 Open University -1,454,893 5,432,182 5,888,260 7,984,851 
			 School of Oriental and African Studies 149,707 149,088 107,399 77,545 
			 University of Oxford 311,735 203,967 232,155 172,532 
			 Oxford Brookes University 562,662 565,754 508,745 388,205 
			 School of Pharmacy 40,279 31,900 27,354 17,217 
			 University of Plymouth 1,698,965 1,532,704 1,362,969 1,214,415 
			 University College Plymouth St. Mark and St. John 314,431 199,702 175,548 129,740 
			 University of Portsmouth 969,593 705,093 576,800 501,186 
			 Queen Mary, University of London 397,289 362,695 345,176 271,796 
			 Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication 88,953 66,744 48,355 39,004 
			 University of Reading 398,729 332,907 227,971 213,612 
			 Roehampton University 597,032 383,180 327,495 235,745 
			 Rose Bruford College 41,987 33,606 27,093 25,752 
			 Royal Academy of Music 16,884 16,216 17,009 10,418 
			 Royal Agricultural College 19,383 22,876 20,759 15,326 
			 Royal College of Art 31,577 43,079 38,913 30,563 
			 Royal College of Music 14,084 13,448 15,876 8,666 
			 Royal Holloway, University of London 217,887 160,675 183,502 131,770 
			 Royal Northern College of Music 20,461 13,351 17,513 10,543 
			 Royal Veterinary College 49,609 42,250 59,970 43,988 
			 St. George's Hospital Medical School 89,464 86,069 124,004 88,429 
			 St. Mary's University College 152,452 158,590 120,923 96,458 
			 University of Salford 1,224,190 1,058,592 885,208 736,315 
			 University of Sheffield 507,302 699,948 661,510 477,901 
			 Sheffield Hallam University 1,139,500 1,074,061 926,405 769,201 
			 University of Southampton 698,276 690,632 580,140 473,057 
			 Southampton Solent University 489,359 464,540 370,872 295,846 
			 Staffordshire University 860,835 809,291 715,380 603,160 
			 University of Sunderland 878,490 621,997 634,871 496,336 
			 University of Surrey 288,165 285,834 260,224 218,531 
			 University of Sussex 445,935 420,487 349,746 273,962 
			 University of Teesside 1,016,072 913,797 776,041 606,825 
			 Thames Valley University 687,100 692,159 485,126 433,631 
			 Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance 31,412 21,659 21,880 19,138 
			 University College London 568,369 451,279 468,256 285,453 
			 University of Warwick 481,367 247,989 256,748 248,994 
			 University of the West of England, Bristol 1,168,222 1,055,928 944,894 736,009 
			 University of Westminster 657,482 772,546 564,054 427,653 
			 University of Winchester 249,395 230,632 181,870 151,415 
			 University of Wolverhampton 1,444,412 1,238,778 1,086,502 841,162 
			 University of Worcester 399,641 374,376 286,536 335,237 
			 Writtle College 52,833 55,363 9,798 26,528 
			 University of York 296,558 264,969 248,308 185,231 
			 York St. John University 263,642 240,486 178,887 121,530 
			  Note: The figures are the net payments over the academic year; they may differ from the original allocations as they include the reclaiming and redistribution of unused funds. The 2005-06 reclaimed figure includes unspent funds reclaimed from the earlier part-time fee waiver scheme.

Higher Education: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many institutions have been overpaid by the Higher Education Funding Council for England in each of the last 10 years; and by how much in each case.

David Lammy: Overpayments can be identified for a variety of reasons following an audit of an institution's records. There is then a process of mitigation to determine the extent of any repayment. In addition there are ongoing adjustments to grant throughout the year to reflect student recruitment against indicative plans. As a result the information requested is not readily available. It is held across a disparate set of paper and electronic records and would take a considerable amount of time and resource to assemble. This information is therefore available only at disproportionate cost.

JUSTICE

Bailiffs: Powers

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the draft regulations for the Tribunals Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 in respect of bailiff powers will be published.

Bridget Prentice: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 27 January 2009,  Official Report, column 372W. The enforcement provisions in the Tribunals, Court and Enforcement Act 2007 are far reaching reforms. The provisions have recently undergone a comprehensive reassessment by Ministers to ensure that they remain appropriate even under this difficult financial climate. This assessment has now been concluded and a statement will be made shortly.

Children: Abuse

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions for child abuse were made in the years ended March  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005, (c) 2006,  (d) 2007 and  (e) 2008.

Maria Eagle: The number of persons aged 18 and over proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences relating to child abuse from 2003 to 2007 in England and Wales is shown in the following table. As there is no specific offence of child abuse statistics are provided only where the age of the victim can be identified as a child from the description of the offence. Furthermore the term child abuse describes harm caused to a child arising from emotional. physical, sexual abuse or neglect caused by a parent or carer. A number of other offences such as offences against the person including physical assault may frequently be used by the police to charge offenders.
	These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  Number of defendants aged 18 and over proceeded against at all courts for offences relating to child abuse in England and Wales, 2004-07( 1, 2, 3, 4) 
			  Proceeded against 
			  Statute  Offence description  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 S.5 Causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable person.  2 3 9 
			 Children and Young Persons Act 1933 Sec 1. Cruelty to or neglect of children. 915 827 780 762 
			 Offences against the Person Act 1861 Sec 27. Abandoning children under 2 years. 4 4 4 2 
			 Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.1 Rape of a female aged under 16. 790 669 601 509 
			 Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.1 Rape of a male aged under 16. 57 58 46 47 
			 Sexual Offences Act 2003 S. 5 Rape of a female child under 13 by a male 34 112 126 142 
			 Sexual Offences Act 2003 S. 5 Rape of a male child under 13 by a male 8 15 24 23 
			 Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.7 Sexual assault on a female child under 13 91 302 325 383 
			 Sexual Offences Act 2003S.8(1)(2)(3), S.9(1)(a)(b)(c)(ii),(2),(3), S.10(1)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii),(2),(3). Sexual activity involving a child 89 289 299 299 
			 Sexual Offences Act 2003S.16(1)(e)(i)(ii),(2)-(5), S.17(1)(e)(i)(ii),(2)-(5), S.18(1)(f)(ii),(2)-(5). Abuse of a position of trust: Sexual activity with children 4 11 18 16 
			 Total  1,992 2,289 2,226 2,192 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete.  However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces.  As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 S.5 came into force on 21 March 2005. (4) The Sexual Offences Act 2003 came into force on 1 May 2004.  Source: OCJRE and A: Office for Criminal Justice ReformEvidence and Analysis Unit

Community Orders

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to inform the public about work being undertaken by convicted criminals serving community service orders.

David Hanson: Local probation areas promote the work they do locally with offenders serving community sentences and in particular in the case of Community Payback. Nationally, the Ministry of Justice is also working with the cross Government National Crime and Justice Group on developing communications that will include messages about Community Payback in local areas. Plans will be announced shortly.
	The Government are committed to increased public visibility and involvement in Community Payback so that local communities are aware of both offenders being punished and the work that they undertake. A forthcoming Green Paper will outline how the Government intend to give the public more opportunities to propose work for offenders in local areas by for example, expanding the citizens panels, which are currently being piloted in six areas.
	To increase visibility to the public high visibility distinctive clothing for offenders undertaking Community Payback was introduced on 1 December.

Criminal Cases Review Commission

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) complaints and  (b) items of correspondence have been received by the Criminal Cases Review Commission in relation to historical sex abuse investigations in the UK in each year since 2001.

Maria Eagle: Since 2001, there has been one complaint made to the Commission in relation to a care home sexual abuse case. This complaint, made in 2001, was by an applicant who had applied unsuccessfully to the Commission for his case to be reviewed in 1999 and who was dissatisfied with the way in which the Commission determined his case. The complaint, which was not upheld, was investigated by the Commission's complaint manager in accordance with the Commission's formal complaints procedure.
	Since 2001, the Commission has received 39 applications relating to cases of this nature. By year:
	
		
			   Number of applications 
			 2001 8 
			 2002 8 
			 2003 7 
			 2004 5 
			 2005 5 
			 2006 1 
			 2007 5 
			 2008 0 
			 2009 to date 0 
		
	
	It has not been possible in the time available to calculate the exact figure, or identify the year in which a particular item of correspondence has been received. The Commission estimates that, since 2001, it has received 1,940 items of correspondence in relation to the 39 cases of this nature.

Criminal Cases Review Commission

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent changes the Criminal Cases Review Commission has made to the way in which it  (a) assesses cases and  (b) determines which cases are (i) eligible and (ii) ineligible for review.

Maria Eagle: There have been no changes in the way in which the Commission assesses cases. Every case is assessed independently and on its own merits. The Commission reviews applications to decide whether there is a real possibility that the relevant appeal court will quash a conviction or amend a sentence.
	There has also been no change in the way in which the Commission assesses which cases are eligible for review. The conditions for eligibility for review are set down in sections 9-12 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1995. As a consequence, the only substantive ground on which the Commission can refuse to accept an application to review a case is where the applicant has not been convicted of a criminal offence in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
	There are other criteria that normally have to be met before an application is accepted such as that the applicant needs to have exhausted the normal appeal processes before applying to the CCRC. However, Section 13 of the Criminal Appeal Act provides that, in exceptional circumstances, conditions other than the requirement to have a relevant conviction can be waived.

Dangerous Dogs Act 1991

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1332W, on dangerous dogs: convictions, how many of the offences for which persons were found guilty fell under  (a) section 1 and  (b) section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

Maria Eagle: Data showing the number of persons found guilty of offences under sections 1 and 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in England and Wales from 1997 to 2007 (latest available) are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of persons found guilty at all courts of offences under sections 1 and 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, England and Wales, 1997 to 2007( 1,) ( 2) 
			   1997  1998  1999 ( 3) 2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Section 1 19 15 12 8 4 7 3 17 11 6 74 
			 Section 3 218 385 412 422 487 487 516 547 605 658 703 
			 Total 237 400 424 430 491 494 519 564 616 664 777 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates' courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform-Evidence and analysis unit.

Departmental Art Works

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which works of art from the Government Art Collection each Minister in his Department has selected for display in a private office.

Jack Straw: I and Ministers in my Department, have a number of pieces of artwork from the Government Art Collection on display in private offices, the detail of which are as follows:
	 The  Rt. Hon. Jack Straw MP
	Trial by Jury, Feliks Topolski, 1949
	The Judge and his Clerk. Merlyn Oliver Evans, 1949
	Brougham, Walter Richard Sickert, 1930
	Procession Attending the Great National Petition of 3,317, 702 to the House of Commons, Anon British 19th Century
	 The  Rt. Hon.  David Hanson MP
	Interior, Dennis Creffield, 1971
	Girl in a Kimono. Dennis Creffield, 1971
	Free Range, Edwin La Dell, date not known
	The Ruins of Downing Hall. Flintshire. Tony Steele-Morgan. 1977
	Marching Out, George Robson, 2001
	 Maria Eagle MP
	A Midsummer Night's Dream; What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?. Barbara Brownlee. 1964
	Hamlet: Nymph in thy orisons be all my sins remembered. Sandra Blow. 1964
	Henry IV Part 2: Sir John Falstaff and Mr Justice Shallow recruiting in Gloucestershire. Brian Robb. 1964
	Interior with Figures. Francis Bacon. 1975
	Icons in a Smoke-filled Room, Claes Oldenburg. 1996: published 1997
	William Brown Suite, Helena Markson, 1964-1965
	 The  Rt. Hon . Michael Wills MP
	The Bay. David Jones, c1929-1930
	Lower Wessex Lane. Spring, Norman Stevens. 1976
	Everything Beautiful is Far Away, Mark Titchner. 2003-2005
	Tea. David Tindle. 1970-1971
	Untitled (Student). Matthew Usmar Lauder, 2006
	 Bridget Prentice MP
	Bray Village, Jeremy King, undated
	Kim, Kwo Da-Wei, 1959
	Bar-B-Q. Roland Piche, 1972
	It was the fourth time that Daddy had fallen for the exploding fork routine, Glen Baxter, 1984
	I sensed that Brenda was trying to impress me.... Glen Baxter, 1984
	 Lord Bach
	The South Prospect of Leicester, Samuel and Nathaniel Buck, published 25 March 1743
	The War Office, William Monk, cl918
	Mine Crater. Hill 60. December 191, Paul Nash, December 1917
	Andean Blue. Zoe Hodgson, 1997
	Departures. Peter McDonald, 2006
	 Shahid Malik MP
	Shahid Malik MP currently has no artwork from the Government Art Collection on display in his private office, but is in the process of selecting some.

Departmental Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has allocated for staff bonuses in 2008-09.

Jack Straw: 'Year end' non-consolidated performance payments are paid to high performing members of the senior civil service (SCS) to reflect their individual contribution during the previous performance year. In the 2008-09 financial year 1,648,000 was paid to SCS staff.
	Within the Ministry of Justice there are different methods of reward for former DCA staff and staff in the National Offender Management Service (NOMS).
	Payment of non-consolidated pay to former DCA staff below the SCS level may be either 'year end' or 'in year' performance payments. 'Year end' performance payments are paid only to staff who achieve the highest possible performance marking for the previous reporting year, which runs from 1 April to 31 March. The amount of 'year end' payments made in August 2008 to staff in the former DCA was 2,011,200.
	'In year' payments are made, at local management discretion, to staff whose performance is exceptional as part of the Department's recognition and reward policy.
	For the former DCA, the amount allocated for the period 1 August 2007 to 31 July 2008 was 0.4 per cent. of the 2007-08 paybill of 575,514.
	The amount allocated for the period 1 August 2008 to 31 July 2009 is 0.5 per cent. of the 2008- 09 paybill of 597,641.
	NOMS operate a performance management system which provides for 'year end' performance payments and recognises outstanding performance with 'in year' payments. It is not possible to give a figure for the total paid in performance payments for the current financial year i.e. 2008-09. However, such payments cannot exceed 0.5 per cent. of the paybill in any unit.
	Performance payments are funded within existing paybill controls, have to be re-earned each year against pre-determined targets, and, as such, do not add to future paybill costs.
	Performance payments, which are non-consolidated and non-pensionable, are paid to high performing individuals as part of the Department's reward strategy. Such payments are a cost-effective means of encouraging and rewarding high performance and drives continuous improvement throughout the organisation.

Departmental Pay

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many bonus payments were made to  (a) senior civil servants and  (b) other staff working in (i) HM Courts Service, (ii) HM Prison Service, (iii) the National Offender Management Service and (iv) the Youth Justice Board in 2007-08; and how much was paid in such bonuses to people in each category.

Jack Straw: The information requested is set out as follows:
	 HM Courts Service
	Across the MoJ, end year non-consolidated performance payments are paid to high performing members of the senior civil service (SCS) to reflect their individual contribution during the previous reporting year. During 2007-08, 54 members of the SCS were paid non-consolidated performance pay amounting to 383,000, in respect of performance during the 2006-07 reporting year.
	Payments of non-consolidated performance pay to staff below the SCS may be either 'end of year' payments or 'in year' payments.
	'End of year' payments of non-consolidated performance pay are made as part of the annual pay award to staff who have performed beyond expectations throughout the performance year. In HM Courts Service 1,667 staff received end of year non-consolidated performance pay during the 2007-08 financial year for performance in the 2006-07 reporting year. The amount paid was 666,800. This was paid in October 2007 at the time of the implementation of the 2007 pay award for all staff.
	'In year' payments of non-consolidated performance pay are one-off payments to staff who have made an exceptional contribution on specific occasions. It is not possible to provide details of payments made to staff in HMCS separate from those working in other parts of the Ministry of Justice, other than at a disproportionate cost.
	During the financial year 2007-08 5,327 staff in Ministry of Justice (including HMCS) received 'in year' non-consolidated performance pay totalling 2,665,212.
	 HM Prison Service
	During 2007-08, 25 members of the SCS were paid non-consolidated performance pay amounting to 231,000.
	Payments of non-consolidated performance pay to staff below the senior civil service may be either 'end of year' or 'in year' payments of non-consolidated performance pay.
	'End of year' non-consolidated performance payments are made as part of the annual pay award to staff who have performed at a level beyond expectations throughout the performance year. In HM Prison Service 4,816 staff received an end of year payment of non-consolidated performance pay in the 2007-08 financial year, totalling 1,096,766.
	'In year' non-consolidated performance payments are one-off payments to staff who have made an exceptional contribution on specific occasions. During the financial year 2007-08, 3,888 staff in HMPS received 'in year' payments totalling 1,333,039.
	There were no payments of non-consolidated performance pay to any member of staff employed by local probation boards or trusts during the financial year 2007-08.
	 National Offender Management Service
	The National Offender Management Service was established as an agency on 1 April 2008. The NOMS Agency consists of the HM Prison Service and the national probation service. The information contained in (ii) covers both of these parts of the NOMS Agency.
	 Youth Justice Board
	During the financial year 2007-08, one member of the SCS was awarded non-consolidated performance pay of 15.000.
	In grades below the SCS, 43 staff were awarded non-consolidated performance pay 'in year' totalling 23,350. There were 21 'end of year' awards of non-consolidated performance pay to staff in relation to annual performance marking. These payments amounted to 18,090.

Departmental Public Consultation

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many public consultations his Department has conducted in the last 12 months; how long each consultation was open for; how many responses were received in each case; and what the cost of conducting each consultation was.

Michael Wills: The information requested is shown in the following table, which sets out details of the 37 formal written public consultations, carried out by the Ministry of Justice in the last twelve months. The printing and web publication costs of a standard consultation are met centrally by the Department. The only other cost of a standard consultation is the cost of staff time in preparing individual consultations. No breakdown exists for these costs and to provide one would incur disproportionate cost. But where activity over and above a standard consultation has been carried out and those cost details are available I have provided them.
	
		
			  Consultation  Consultation period  Number of responses  Additional costs of consultation () 
			  Closed consultations 2008 - 09
			 1. Administration and Enforcement Restriction Orders 16 January 2008 to 16 April 2008 49 (1) 
			 2. Local authority charges for property search services 18 January 2008 to 18 April 2008 858 12,000 
			 3. Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007Court Rules 31 January 2008 to 24 April 2008 9 (1) 
			 4. Tribunal, Courts and Enforcement Act: Eligibility for Judicial Appointments 5 February 2008 to 29 April 2008 13 (1) 
			 5. Enhancing procedural rights and cooperation in the EU 28 February 2008 to 10 April 2008 11 (1) 
			 6. Rome IShould the UK opt in? 2 April 2008 to 25 June 2008 37 (1) 
			 7. Best value in probation 9 April 2008 to 2 July 2008 73 9,500 
			 8. Children and Adoption Act 2006Court Rules 7 May 2008 to 20 June 2008 25 (1) 
			 9. Certificates of professional competenceamendments to the Transport Tribunal Rules 2008 28 May 2008 to 9 July 2008 2 (1) 
			 10. Titan prisons 5 June 2008 to 28 August 2008. 74 1,210 
			 11. Bail and murder 17 June 2008 to 12 September 2008 30 (1) 
			 12. Reforming the Legal Aid Family Barrister Fee Scheme 18 June 2008 to 10 September 2008 19 (1) 
			 13. Election DayWeekend voting 24 June 2008 to 26 September 2008 941 6,153.95 
			 14. Pleural plaques 9 July2008 to 1 September 2008 224 (1) 
			 15. Inspection powers and funding arrangements for the Information Commissioner 17 July 2008 to 27 August 2008 72 (1) 
			 16. Pandemic Influenza 23 July 2008 to 3 September 2008 24 (1) 
			 17. Proposal to close Nelson County Court 28 July 2008 to 20 October 2008 11 (1) 
			 18. Murder, manslaughter and infanticide: Proposals for reform of the Law 28 July 2008 to 20 October 2008 74 10,254 
			 19. Claims management regulation: Fee 4 August 2008 to 28 October 2008 3 (1) 
			 20. Section 57 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Actdraft regulations 26 August 2008 to 18 November 2008 3 (1) 
			 21. Civil Procedures Rules: Cost capping orders 12 September 2008 to 24 October 2008 64 (1) 
			 22. Rules for mandatory polygraph tests for sex offenders 19 September 2008 to 21 November 2008 7 300 
			 23. The future of Camden and Islington Youth Work 5 September 2008 to28 November 2008 20 (1) 
			 24. Pandemic fluPlanning guidance for Agencies and others in the Justice System 5 September 2008 to28 November 2008 16 (1) 
			 25. Reducing re-offending in London 8 October 2008 to 30 January 2009 (2) 13,995.26 
			 26. Reviewing the Mental Capacity Act 2005: Forms supervision and fees 23 October 2008 to 15 January 2009 76 6,300 
			 27. Old enough to make a Mark? Should the voting age be lowered to 16? 20 October 2008 to 20 January 2009 500 (1) 
			 28. Publication of Candidate's addresses at UK parliamentary Elections 26 November 2008 to28 January 2009 65 (1) 
			 29. Crown court means testing 6 November 2008 to29 January 2009 49 (1) 
			 30. The award of costs from central funds in criminal cases 6 November 2008 to 29 January 96 (1) 
			 31. Proposed closure of Telford Hearing Centre 10 November 2008 to8 February 2009 10 643.69 
			 
			  Open consultations:
			 32. Proposed Closure of Social Security and Child Support Agency Hearing Centre Portsmouth 1 December 2008 to28 February 2009 (3) (1) 
			 33. Civil court fees 2008 10 December 2008 to4 March 2009 (3) (1) 
			 34. Proposal to merge the Dudley and Stourbridge and Halesowen Local Justice Areas 19 January 2009 to 13 April 2009 (3) (1) 
			 35. Proposed Merger of the Warley and West Bromwich Local Justice Areas 27 January 2009 to 21 April 2009 (3) (1) 
			 36. Fees in the United Kingdom Supreme court 10 February 2009 to 5 May 2009 (3) (1) 
			 37. Controlling costs in defamation proceedings 24 February 2009 to 6 May 2009 (3) (1) 
			 (1) Standard consultation. (2) 49 to the paper155 plus through workshops and stakeholder events. (3) Not yet available.

Emergency Calls: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many non-emergency calls were made to  (a) the English language telephone number and  (b) the Welsh language telephone number in each police force in Wales in the last year for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	Data for the period from April 2008 to January 2009 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Non emergency calls to Welsh Police forces from April 2008 to January 2009 
			  Number 
			  Police force  English language  Welsh language 
			 Dyfed Powys Police(1) 311,458 8,127 
			 Gwent Police 185,170 (2) 
			 North Wales Police 513,579 12,583 
			 South Wales Police(3) 59,547 1,385 
			 (1) Dyfed Powys Police began collecting data for Welsh language calls in November 2008 (2) English only used (3) South Wales Police do not collect force-wide data. The data shown here are for Cardiff only.

Howard League for Penal Reform

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 his Department has received from the Howard League for Penal Reform in the last 12 months; in respect of how many a substantive response has not been provided to date; what the date of the oldest such request is; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice has received six requests from the Howard League for Penal Reform in the last 12 months. Onemade in August 2008remains outstanding. I can assure the hon. Member that this request is being treated with the utmost priority, and that the requester will receive a response in the near future.

Legal Aid: Children

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applications for legal aid the Legal Services Commission received from firms working on behalf of persons under 16 in each year since 1997; and how many were accepted in each such year.

Shahid Malik: The information is being collated and I will write to the hon. Member when it is available.

Legal Aid: Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applications for acts of assistance relating to housing the Legal Services Commission (LSC) received in each of the last five years; and what percentage of the total number of requests to the LSC relating to housing each figure represents.

Shahid Malik: Applications for acts of assistance by way of legal help are received by the supplier, for example the solicitor or advice bureau, and central records are not kept by the Legal Services Commission (LSC). However, the LSC does have records of applications granted in terms of the number of new matters started, as reported to it by suppliers. Table 1 as follows shows the number of housing new matters started in each of the last five financial years. These figures include matters started under Community Legal Service Direct telephone advice scheme introduced in July 2004.
	The LSC directly receives applications for acts of assistance by way of civil representation. The number of such applications received for housing matters, and the proportion granted are shown as follows at table 2.
	
		
			  Table 1: Legal help 
			   Housing new matters started  Proportion of all new matters started  (percentage) 
			 2007-08 127,257 15.8 
			 2006-07 133,311 15.7 
			 2005-06 110,315 14.1 
			 2004-05 83,193 12.7 
			 2003-04 80,260 11.3 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Civil representation 
			   Housing applications  Applications granted  Proportion of total civi l representation applications (percentage ) 
			 2007-08 14,402 11,743 8.4 
			 2006-07 15,130 12,021 8.0 
			 2005-06 15,786 12,374 8.1 
			 2004-05 14,406 11,834 7.5 
			 2003-04 14,405 12.066 7.0

Mentally Disturbed Offenders

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2008,  Official Report, column 474W, on the Bradley Review, when he expects to receive Lord Bradley's report.

David Hanson: Lord Bradley has now submitted his report and the Government expect to be able to publish it, along with the response, before the end of April 2009.

Policing and Crime Bill 2008-09

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what sanctions would apply for the non-payment of fines imposed under the provisions of Clause 26 of the Policing and Crime Bill 2008-09.

Alan Campbell: I have been asked to reply.
	Non-payment of this particular fine will be treated no differently to the non-payment of any other fine.
	The Courts Act 2003 introduced a series of measures aimed at improving fine collection. These included making it mandatory that a Deduction from Benefits Order or an Attachment of Earnings Order be the first form of enforcement to be applied following default or history of default. It introduced clamping of vehicles, fines payment work (currently being piloted), fine increases and the registration of financial credit (which may affect their ability to obtain credit). Other enforcement tools include warrants of execution, delivery and/or possession (where a bailiff may seize goods, money and land to the value of the debt). Imprisonment is the ultimate sanction for the non-payment for financial penalties, where the court has exhausted all other enforcement options.

Prison Sentences: Ethnic Groups

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the comparative rates of imprisonment of  (a) black males and  (b) white males; how these rates compare with the proportions in the overall population; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The most recent assessment of the comparative rates of imprisonment for both males and females together are as follows.
	For British nationals, the proportion of black prisoners on 30 June 2007 relative to the population was 7.4 per 1,000 compared to 1.4 per 1,000 for white persons. For the overall population it was 1.5 per 1,000.
	The latest data therefore indicates that black people are over five times more likely to be in prison than their white counterparts.
	Data are not currently available for males alone.

Prisoners Transfers

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average daily number of prisoners transferred from each prison in England and Wales to another prison in England and Wales solely as a result of overcrowding was in 2008.

David Hanson: Information on the reasons for every movement of a prisoner is not kept. Information will be held by the Inter Prison Transfer monitor on the total number of transfers carried out using the IPT fleet but no breakdown is available on the reasons for these transfers.

Prisoners: Expenditure

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much money has been spent on rehabilitating prisoners who had been considered to be violent and a threat to society since 1991.

David Hanson: The National Offender Management Service delivers a broad range of interventions to address the particular risks and needs of offenders. There are a number of accredited offending behaviour programmes which address violence including thinking skills, anger management, domestic and other types of violent crime as well as sexual offending. A range of interventions is available for prisoners with an alcohol problem. Other regime activities such as training, education, work, non accredited courses and resettlement also have a significant part to play in reducing risk and preparing a prisoner for release. This work is delivered as part of prison baseline funding and it is not possible to disaggregate accurately the costs. NOMS is currently undertaking a specifications, benchmarking and costings exercise which will provide costings of the interventions delivered.

Reoffenders

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will commission research on the effects on the re-offending rate of  (a) penal custody,  (b) restorative justice programmes and  (c) local authority secure accommodation.

David Hanson: The Ministry of Justice has an ongoing research and analysis programme which addresses a wide range of interventions. The programme for 2009-10 is currently being agreed.
	On  (a) penal custody: Reoffending statistics are published regularly by the Department. The proven re-offending rate for offenders discharged from prison was 46.5 per cent. in 2006.
	On  (b) restorative justice: Between 2001 and 2004 the Government invested around 5 million in the crime reduction programme restorative justice pilots and their evaluation, including a two-year reconviction study. Four reports were published. Restorative justice has proven itself as a way of increasing victim satisfaction with the criminal justice process, and may also help to reduce reoffending for adults.
	On  (c) local authority secure accommodation: The Youth Justice Board commissioned a research study in 2008 which aims to explore reoffending rates of different types of custodial provision, including local authority secure accommodation.
	 References:
	 (a) Ministry of Justice (2008) Reoffending of adults: results from the 2006 cohort, England and Wales. Statistics bulletin
	 (b) Shapland, J., Atkinson, A., Colledge, I., Dignan, J., Howes, M., Johnstone, J., Pennant, R., Robinson, G., and Sorsby A. (2004) Implementing restorative justice schemes (Crime Reduction Programme). A report on the first year. Home Office Online Report 32/04
	Shapland, J., Atkinson, A., Atkinson, H., Chapman, B., Dignan, J., Howes, M., Johnstone, J., Robinson, G. and Sorsby, A. (2006) Restorative justice in practice, findings from the second phase of the evaluation of three schemes. Findings 274. London: Home Office
	Shapland, J., Atkinson, A., Atkinson, H., Chapman, B., Dignan, J., Howes, M., Johnstone, J., Robinson, G. and Sorsby, A. (2007) Restorative justice: the views of victims and offenders: the third report from the evaluation of three schemes. Ministry of Justice Research Series 3/07
	Shapland, J., Atkinson, A., Atkinson, H., Dignan, J., Edwards, L., Hibbert, J., Howes, M., Johnstone, J., Robinson, G. and Sorsby, A. Does restorative justice affect reconviction? The fourth report from the evaluation of three schemes. Ministry of Justice Research Series 10/08

Reoffenders

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of offenders re-offended within  (a) six months,  (b) one year,  (c) two years and  (c) three years of release from a custodial sentence in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: Table 1 shows the one year reoffending rates for adults leaving custody in the first quarter of the years 2002 to 2006. The table shows the number and proportion of offenders that committed at least one further offence. The number of offences committed per 100 reoffenders is now the headline measure of reoffendingthis has also been included in the table.
	
		
			  Table 1:  o ne year reoffending rates, offenders leaving custody 2002-2006 
			  Cohort  Number of offenders  Number of reoffenders (1 year)  Percentage proportion of offenders offending (1 year)  Number of offences per 100 offenders (1 year) 
			  Quarter 1 
			 2002 15,578 8,574 55.0 288.2 
			 2003 14,358 7,738 53.9 279.1 
			 2004 15,761 8,185 51.9 253.1 
			 2005 14,595 7,165 49.1 228.5 
			 2006 14,380 6,686 46.5 208.4 
		
	
	Two year reoffending rates are available for the 2000 to 2005 cohorts. The number and proportion of offenders that committed at least one further offence are shown in table 2.
	
		
			  Table 2: two years reoffending rates, offenders leaving custody 2000-2005 
			   Number of offenders  Number of reoffenders (2 years)  Percentage proportion of offenders offending (2 years) 
			  Quarter 1
			 2000 16,527 10,709 64.8 
			 2002 15,887 10,708 67.4 
			 2003 15,305 10,071 65.8 
			 2004 16,385 10,601 64.7 
			 2005 14,713 9,140 62.1 
		
	
	It should be noted that comparisons between the one and two year rates should be interpreted with caution. This is due to a slight improvement in the method used to count offenders released from custody (or starting court orders under probation supervision) when we moved to measuring reoffending over one year rather than two.
	Data on six month and three year reoffending rates are not currently available. The Ministry of Justice is currently undertaking a programme of work to investigate reoffending rates over longer time periods. This will include analysis of three year reoffending rates.
	Further information on the one year rates of reoffending can be found in:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm
	Further information on the two year rates can be found in:
	http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/hosb2505.pdf

Reoffenders

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  with reference to his Department's report, Re-offending of adults: new measures of re-offending 2000-05, how many offenders have had multiple offender entries in each of the last five years;
	(2)  with reference to his Department's report, Re-offending of adults: new measures of re-offending 2000-05, how many individual offenders entered the cohort and committed a further offence and were discharged from prison or commenced a community sentence within the same quarter in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: A multiple offender entry (MOE) is an individual offender who, after entering the cohort (by either being discharged from prison, or commencing a court order under probation supervision), commits a reoffence and is further discharged from prison or commences a court order within the same 1st quarter period in a given year. MOEs are excluded from our analysis of reoffending, in order to ensure that there is no double-counting in each cohort.
	The following table shows the number of offenders who are MOEs and their respective number of entries between 2000 and 2006 (the latest available data). Most MOE offenders appear twice in the cohort and the number of MOEs has been constant, at around 2.5 per cent. of the entire cohort of offenders since 2000.
	
		
			   Q1 
			  Multiple offender entries (MOEs)  2000  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 2x 1,018 1,006 1,088 1,239 1,040 1,307 
			 3x 31 34 36 75 38 52 
			 4x 5 2 3 5 3 6 
			 5x1   
			 6x 3  
			 Total MOEs 1,054 1,042 1,127 1,320 1,084 1,365 
			 Percentage of total cohort 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.8 2.4 2.7 
			  Note: Data are not available for 2001 due to a problem with archived data on court orders. Since it will not substantially increase knowledge on the current progress on reoffending, no resources have been allocated to fix this problem. 
		
	
	We have assumed that the second question is also related to multiple offender entries, and that the term 'within the same quarter' refers to the quarter in which the cohort is compiled (between 1 January and 31 March of a given year). A break down of these figures by prison and court orders is not available.
	Further information on multiple offender entries can be found in Annex C of the publication Reoffending of Adults: results from the 2006 cohort:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm

Suicide: Internet

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions inquests have identified internet sites as a contributory cause of suicide in each of the last five years; and in how many such cases the suicide was committed by someone under the age of  (a) 15,  (b) 18,  (c) 21 and  (d) 25 years.

Bridget Prentice: Information collected by the Ministry of Justice relates solely to the number of verdicts of suicide returned: no information is collected regarding the circumstances of each case. Although the Ministry of Justice is collecting from coroners, as part of the annual statistical return, data on the age at death of those persons whose deaths have been the subject of inquests, the information collected will not reveal the age profile relating to suicide, or any other particular verdict.
	The total number of verdicts of suicide returned at inquests by coroners in England and Wales in each of the last five years for which data are available is as follows:
	
		
			  Total number of verdicts of suicide returned by coroners in England and Wales 
			   Number 
			 2003 3,255 
			 2004 3,368 
			 2005 3,235 
			 2006 3,220 
			 2007 3,007 
			  Note: Statistics for 2008 are not available.

Young Offender Institutions

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what percentage of inmates in young offender institutions are taking part in programmes to rehabilitate them into society.

David Hanson: The National Offender Management Service delivers a broad range of interventions to address the particular risks and needs of offenders. This includes a number of accredited offending behaviour programmes and interventions that address drug misuse. These are a key element of the Service's work to reduce re-offending. The number of individual prisoners accessing interventions is not collated centrally. However, the number of intervention commencements is recorded.
	In 2007-08 there were 1,246 offending behaviour programme commencements in establishments whose primary role was a young offender institution (YOI).
	All YOIs provide a comprehensive drug treatment framework, based on the National Treatment Agency's revised models of care, to address the different needs of drug-misusers. The interventions available are designed to meet the needs of low, moderate and severe drug misusersirrespective of age, gender or ethnicity.
	Interventions include:
	Clinical services (detoxification and/or maintenance prescribing)available in all YOIs in England and Wales.
	Counselling. Assessment. Referral. Advice and Throughcare services (CARATs)available in all YOIs in England and Wales.
	Intensive Drug Rehabilitation programmes:
	The Short Duration programme is available in six YOIs (1)
	P-ASRO (prisons Addressing Substance Related Offending)available in seven YOIs.
	Young People's Substance Misuse Service (YPSMS)a non-clinical service for those under the age of 18 in custody in England and Wales, combining education and prevention with treatment.
	The following table shows the number of drug interventions delivered in establishments whose primary role was a YOI in 2007-08.
	
		
			   2007-08 
			 Clinical treatment (detoxification or maintenance) 1,370 
			 CARATs initial assessments 6,040 
			 YPSMS Initial assessments 7,380 
			 Intensive Drug Rehabilitation programmes 1,250 
			 Total 16,040 
			  Notes: 1. NOMS categorises establishments by their main role only. Establishments that have more than one role are placed in the category that represents the primary or dominant function of the prison. Some young offendersincluding all young female prisonersare held in separate Young Offender units in adult establishments. 2. Individuals could access more than one type of intervention or more than one of the same intervention in any one year. 
		
	
	All figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

Young Offenders: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persistent young offenders were  (a) arrested and  (b) sentenced for a criminal offence at (i) magistrates' courts and (ii) the Crown Court in (A) the London Borough of Bexley and (B) London in each year since 1997.

David Hanson: Statistics on persistent young offenders (PYOs) are only available for those offenders that are arrested and then found guilty. These statistics, split by court type as requested in the question, are only available from 1999 onwards. The figures for Bexley are only available from 2002.
	The PYO figures are designed to measure the speed and efficiency of the youth justice system; through monitoring the pledge to halve the average time from arrest to sentence for dealing with PYOs in England and Wales from 142 days in 1996 to 71 days. They are not designed to measure overall trends in youth crime, and will give a misleading picture of the true trend if used for this purpose.
	The table following on this response shows the number of PYOs dealt with in England and Wales, London and for the London borough of Bexley. The counts of this type of offender are split by court jurisdictions for England and Wales and the London area. The figures for Bexley are very small and therefore subject to year-on-year volatility.
	On 10 December 2008, the Secretary of State for Justice announced in a written ministerial statement that the PYO pledge would be dropped with effect from the end of 2008. This is therefore the last year for which PYO statistics will be published and compiled.
	
		
			  Number of persistent young offenders in England and Wales, London (Metropolitan police force area) the London borough of Bexley, by court jurisdiction 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  England and Wales
			 Magistrates courts 8,189 9,297 9,815 11,961 12,889 13,218 13,297 13,511 13,894 14,476 15,414 
			 The Crown court 1,423 1,514 2,160 1,264 961 1,024 941 974 924 1,043 1,095 
			 Total 9,868 11,079 12,014 13,233 13,854 14,244 14,244 14,492 14,827 15,528 16,512 
			 
			  London (Metropolitan police force area)
			 Magistrates courts 541 622 856 948 1,176 1,200 1,129 1,199 1,208 1,325 1,593 
			 The Crown court 182 192 228 148 121 124 121 125 121 161 175 
			 Total 864 1,003 1,091 1,100 1,297 1,325 1,251 1,324 1,329 1,486 1,768 
			 
			  London borough of Bexley
			 Magistrates courts
			 The Crown court
			 Total  44 36 28 38 26 52 
			  Notes: 1. The Police National Computer data can contain records where the type of court in which the case was heard was unknown. This missing information only impacts a very small minority of cases, and was more a feature of the data in the past than in the present. Thus, the sum of cases heard in magistrates courts and the Crown court in each year is less than all cases heard in England and Wales. 2. The counts of persistent young offenders for the London borough of Bexley are very small subsets of the overall London and England and Wales populations, and as such are subject to year-to-year volatility. 3. The counts for 2008 are based on provisional (incomplete) data and are therefore subject to being revised. Any revision should not result in a substantial increase in these counts.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Art Works

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Leader of the House which works of art from the Government art collection each Minister in her Office has selected for display in a private office.

Chris Bryant: The Office of the Leader of the House has 10 works of art on loan from the Government art collection. These are listed as follows:
	 Leader of the House of Commons
	Rock Descent IV; painting by Anne Madden
	Three Cadmiums, Four Discs; painting by Patrick Heron
	Untitled; painting by Marta Marce
	Romantic Landscape; painting by William Johnstone
	 Deputy Leader of the House of Commons
	London Blitz 1943; photograph by George Rodger
	Pontllyfni in Snow; print by Kyffin Williams
	Ploughed Field and Haystacks from A Private World; photograph by Paul Nash
	Boat on the Shore, South of France from A Private World; photograph by Paul Nash
	Sustenance 101; photograph by Neeta Madahar
	Sustenance 104; photograph by Neeta Madahar

Departmental Public Consultation

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Leader of the House how many public consultations her Office has conducted in the last 12 months; how long each consultation was open for; how many responses were received in each case; and what the cost of conducting each consultation was.

Chris Bryant: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons conducted one public consultation in the last 12 months, on the Draft Legislative programme. The consultation began on 14 May 2008 and concluded on 6 August 2008.
	With regard to the responses and cost of the consultation, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 14 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1016W. 32,035 was spent on publishing the Government's Draft Legislative programme for 2008-09. The cost of the consultation exercise on the Government's Draft Legislative programme for 2008-09 was 30,922.38.
	The Government's Draft Legislative programme for 2008-09 received the views of around 1,900 people and organisations. These comprised 566 responses to the Leader of the House of Commons' website, at least 1,200 people and organisations who participated in the 62 regional events and 115 individuals and organisations who responded by post.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made on developing a carbon accounting framework.

Joan Ruddock: We are developing a carbon accounting system for UK carbon budgets pursuant to sections 26, 27 and 28 of the Climate Change Act 2008. A consultation on our proposals for this system closed on 19 January, and we are currently analysing responses. We plan to lay regulations implementing the system in the spring, alongside the regulations setting the level of the first three carbon budgets.

Carbon Emissions

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the objectives are of developing a carbon accounting framework.

Joan Ruddock: A carbon accounting system is required to determine compliance with the carbon budgets and targets in the Climate Change Act 2008. It will set out the detailed rules for calculating the net UK carbon account, which must not exceed the budget at the end of each budget period. This will include determining which types of carbon units can count towards the account, the circumstances when carbon units can be credited to and debited from it, and the system that will keep track of the units.

Carbon Emissions

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will encourage local authorities to switch from burning fossil fuels to burning wood pellets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Joan Ruddock: The Government's Biomass Strategy, published in 2007, and the 2008 consultation document on the Government's Renewable Energy Strategy, issued by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, discuss the potential impacts on air quality from the use of biomass for local heating. These recognise the benefits in carbon reduction from the use of biomass, such as wood pellets, over fossil fuels such as coal or fuel oil, but that in some cases, this would result in increased emissions of air pollutants. The consultation document sets out ways the Government are seeking to facilitate uptake of biomass heat without compromising air quality or public health. A final strategy is due to be published later this year.
	Copies of the published documents are available on the Department's websites:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/ENVIRONMENT/climatechange/uk/energy/renewablefuel/pdf/ukbiomassstrategy-0507.
	http://renewableconsultation.berr.gov.uk/

Climate Change

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what climate models his Department  (a) has access to and  (b) uses, with particular reference to the climate model used by Lord Stern in his Review on the Economics of Climate Change.

Joan Ruddock: The Department has access to and utilises the findings from the suite of climate models that have been developed and continue to be refined by the Met Office Hadley Centre (MOHC), through its Integrated Climate programme. The Department, together with the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, jointly funds this programme which aims to monitor, understand and predict climate change. As part of its climate modelling work, the MOHC collaborates with other research centres in the UK and internationally in the development of these models.
	The outputs from the MOHC's climate models are a key element of the scientific evidence base that underpins our policy development and international negotiations on climate change. My Department also uses the findings from the international set of climate models and associated modelling work that contributed to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
	The simple model for climate policy assessment (SiMCaP) climate model was used to provide mitigation trajectories for the global carbon finance (GLOCAF) model, developed by the Office of Climate Change to look at the costs to different countries of moving to a low carbon global economy, and the kind of international financial flows this might generate.

Climate Change: International Cooperation

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to meet  (a) the US Energy Secretary and  (b) the White House Energy Co-ordinator to discuss (i) the outcome of the UN Climate Change Conference in Poznan, (ii) a funding mechanism for the UN Climate Change Adaptation Fund and (iii) the transfer of carbon-neutral and clean technologies to the developing world; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had initial discussions with both the US Energy Secretary and White House staff. He will have further discussions with the US Administration during his visit to the United States in March.

Combined Heat and Power: Oils

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to encourage the use of combined heat and power generated from cooking oil recycled by means of gravity separation and filtration techniques; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Good quality combined heat and power benefits from a number of support mechanisms, such as exemption from the climate change levy and enhanced capital allowances. Combined heat and power produced from a renewable fuel meeting the legal requirements also benefits from the operation of the renewables obligation.

Departmental Foreign Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many  (a) EU foreign nationals and  (b) non-EU foreign nationals are employed by his Department.

Mike O'Brien: The information that has been requested is not held centrally by BERR or DECC HR and is not therefore available to us without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Appointments

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to appoint a Chief Engineering Adviser in his Department.

Mike O'Brien: DECC currently has no plans to appoint a Chief Engineering Advisor. The Chief Scientific Adviser for DECC, who will be appointed shortly, will deal with issues relating to science, engineering and technologyas does the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and Chief Scientific Advisers in other Departments.

Energy Supply

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what percentage of the UK's power is generated by  (a) wind farms,  (b) solar,  (c) nuclear power stations,  (d) coal-fired power stations,  (e) clean coal-fired power stations,  (f) gas-fired power stations,  (g) oil-fired power stations,  (h) tidal sources and  (i) geo-thermal power stations.

Mike O'Brien: Separate data are not yet available for tidal, geo-thermal, because of the small number of sites using these technologies. For 2007, the percentages of UK generation by the other sources requested are given in the following table. Corresponding figures for 2008 will be published on 30 July 2009.
	
		
			   Generation (GWh)  Share of total UK  generation (per centage) 
			 Gas 164,473 41.5 
			 Coal 136,685 34.5 
			 Nuclear 63,028 15.9 
			 Oil 4,693 1.2 
			 Wind 5,274 1.3 
			 Solar 11 0.1 
			 Other fuels 21,978 5.5 
			 Total 396,142 100.0 
			  Source:  Digest of UK Energy Statistics, 2008, Tables 7.4 and 5.6, available at: http://www .berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/energy/statistics/publications/dukes/ page45537.html

Energy: Prices

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the average amount billed for fuel consumption for  (a) a one-bedroom flat,  (b) a two-bedroom flat,  (c) a three-bedroom house and  (d) a four-bedroom house in (i) North Wiltshire constituency, (ii) Wiltshire, (iii) London and (iv) England in the last 12 months.

Mike O'Brien: DECC does not hold data on energy bills split by size of property, or on a constituency or county basis.
	However, DECC does hold information on the average annual gas and electricity bills a household is likely to incur in each PES (public electricity supplier) area and gas LDZ (local distribution zone). These bills are based on standard consumption levels of 3,300 kWh for electricity and 18,000 kWh for gas.
	The latest data, published by DECC in Quarterly Energy Prices, suggest that in 2008 customers paying their bill on receipt (standard credit) would pay:
	
		
			   
			   Electricity  Gas  Total 
			 Wiltshire(1) 380 571 951 
			 London(2) 392 572 964 
			 England 405 570 975 
			 (1 )For Wiltshire the PES electricity area is southern and the LDZ for gas is south west. (2 )For London the PES electricity area is London and the LDZ for gas is North Thames.

Energy: Prices

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the average amount billed for fuel consumption for a  (a) one-bedroom flat,  (b) two-bedroom flat,  (c) three-bedroom house and  (d) four-bedroom house in (i) Hemel Hempstead and (ii) Hertfordshire in the last 12 months.

Mike O'Brien: DECC does not hold data on energy bills split by household size, or on constituency or county basis.
	However, DECC does hold information on the average annual gas and electricity bills a household is likely to incur in each PES (Public Electricity Supplier) area and gas LDZ (Local Distribution Zone). These bills are based on standard consumption levels of 3,300 kWh for electricity and 18,000 kWh for gas.
	The latest data, published in Quarterly Energy Prices, suggest that in 2008 customers paying their bill on receipt (standard credit) would pay:
	
		
			  Hemel Hempstead (Eastern PES/LDZ) 
			
			 Electricity 393 
			 Gas 575 
			 Total 968

Fines

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether any administrative financial penalties may be levied by his Department.

Mike O'Brien: The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was formed on 3 October 2008, bringing together policy responsibility for energy (formerly with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR)) and climate change (formerly with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)).

Fuels: Prices

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of trends in the pump price of  (a) liquefied petroleum gas and  (b) other motor fuels in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: DECC does not hold disaggregated data on the retail price of liquid petroleum gas. Petrol and diesel prices are published weekly and are available at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/energy/statistics/source/prices/page47818.html
	A more extensive assessment can be found in DECC's 'Quarterly Energy Prices' publication, which is available at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/energy/statistics/publications/prices/index.html

Home Energy Conservation Act 1995

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to improve the implementation of the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995.

Mike O'Brien: DEFRA consulted on the future of the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 (HECA) in late 2007 and set out possible options for its future, which included repeal. Policy responsibility for HECA now rests with the Department of Energy and Climate Change and there will be an announcement on its future shortly.

Marine Renewables Deployment Fund

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1379W, on Marine Renewables Deployment Fund, which projects are being supported by the Marine Renewable Deployment Fund; and how much the Fund has provided for each such project in each year since the Fund was established.

Mike O'Brien: A breakdown of funds provided and in each financial year for the six research related projects and one infrastructure project supported by the Marine Renewables Deployment Fund since the Fund was established is given as follows:
	
		
			Financial year () 
			  Contractor  Description  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  Total 
			 Edinburgh University Wave energy device performance assessment protocol 25,000   25,000 
			   
			 Edinburgh University Tidal current device performance assessment protocol 22,000   22,000 
			   
			 EMEC Ltd. Draft performance measurement standard for tidal stream devices  24,000 10,000 34,000 
			 EMEC Ltd. Rewrite of wave performance testing standard   11,000 11,000 
			   
			 EMEC Infrastructure EMEC wave facility 197,000   197,000 
			   
			 EMEC Infrastructure EMEC tidal facility (incl. extension) 634,000 300,000  934,000 
			   
			 Sustainable Development Commission SDC Tidal Study  132,000  132,000 
			   
			 Hartley Anderson Ltd. WT environmental research  235,000 725,000 960,000 
			   
			 Total  878,000 691,000 747,000 2,315,000

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon of 20 October 2008 on behalf of Mr. Peter Kendall regarding Government grants for home insulation.

Mike O'Brien: I replied to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon the (Steve Webb) on behalf of Mr. P Kendall on 26 February.

Renewable Energy

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect of the economic recession on the renewable energy sector; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The current global economic climate is one of a number of factors determining investment in renewable energy projects. The Government are working to create the right conditions for rapid deployment of renewable energyboth to meet challenging climate change goals and maintain energy security.
	The global recession will affect availability and cost of capital to all firms, not just renewables. For the most part vertically integrated companies are well placed to manage their own capital requirements. Smaller companies may find it harder to raise capital but Government are providing a range of financial help in addition to the main financial support provided through the renewables obligation.
	We also have a range of measures already in place to bring on more renewables development, including onshore and offshore wind, in order to meet our targets. Our Renewable Energy Strategy, due to be finalised in spring 2009, will build on these to provide an attractive framework for investment. Furthermore, the Secretary of State announced in the pre-Budget report that we would be extending the renewables obligation (RO) until 2037. This will ensure that investors can plan with confidence for the future so that over the next decade the market will continue to deliver the renewables projects that we need to achieve our 2020 target.
	We take very seriously the concerns that some developers have raised regarding renewable energy developments in the current economic climate. We are maintaining a close dialogue with developers and stand ready to consider any evidence they bring to our attention.

Renewable Energy: Public Sector

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will make it his policy to increase the proportion of energy used in public sector buildings which comes from renewable sources.

Mike O'Brien: We are making it a priority to increase the proportion of renewable energy in the public sector estate and have commissioned the Sustainable Development Commission to come up with a series of recommendations on how we should do this. They will report in early April.

Renewable Energy: Scotland

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  whether he has had recent discussions with Scottish Executive Ministers on the effect of the National Policy Statements for Renewable Energy on marine spatial planning in  (a) waters out to 12 nautical miles off the Scottish coast and  (b) the renewable energy zone off the Scottish coast;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the National Policy Statement for Renewable Energy on the operation of Marine Scotland;
	(3)  whether he has had recent discussions with Scottish Executive Ministers on the effect of the National Policy Statement for Renewable Energy on their consenting powers for  (a) offshore and  (b) onshore renewables under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.

Mike O'Brien: To date there have been no assessments of the effects of National Policy Statements (NPSs) on Marine Scotland nor have there been discussions with Scottish Executive Ministers on NPSs as they are at early stage of drafting. However, there will be public consultation on my Department's NPSs later in 2009 and my Department will want to engage with the Scottish Executive on them before then.
	With the exception of certain oil and gas pipelines that cross into Scotland, the IPC will only have powers to determine applications for nationally significant energy infrastructure projects in England and Wales and the territorial sea adjacent to England and Wales and the Renewable Energy Zone (except those parts where Scottish Ministers have functions), where a relevant NPS is in place. Therefore, the NPSs only directly apply to decisions for new infrastructure in those areas. However, energy policy is generally a reserved matter and the Scottish Executive must have regard to policy statements on energy as a relevant consideration in decisions. NPSs are, for these purposes, a statement of Government policy, so we expect that NPSs will be a relevant consideration for decisions by Scottish Ministers on energy infrastructure in Scotland.

Sight Impaired

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what guidelines his Department follows in respect of making printed materials and forms accessible to people suffering red/green colour blindness.

Mike O'Brien: The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) follows the Central Office of Information (COI) recommendation that the use of red and green together as text/background should be avoided. DECC also follows the COI recommendation that using yellow and blue together should also be avoided.

Warm Front Scheme

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to using installers approved by the manufacturers of central heating boilers for installations under the Warm Front scheme.

Joan Ruddock: Eaga selects installers based on a competitive tendering process, in line with European public procurement regulations. Installers are chosen according to a range of criteria, including price tendered, customer service, health and safety procedures and financial probity.
	At present Warm Front does not limit procurement to installers specifically approved by manufacturers, as this would lead to a restricted installer base. This could potentially result in higher prices and could disadvantage small and medium-sized enterprises.

Warm Front Scheme

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much was  (a) budgeted for and  (b) paid out in grants to individual households for (i) renewable energy installations and (ii) energy efficiency measures in each year since 1997; and what the equivalent figures are for 2008-09 to date.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 23 February 2009
	 Under previous grant programmes which started in 2002 the following grants were paid to householders:
	Major PV Demonstration Programme with a budget of 31 million committed 11.5 million to small scale projects including householders.
	
		
			  Major PV Demonstration 
			  Financial y ear   
			 2002-03 875,828.57 
			 2003-04 1,913,572.82 
			 2004-05 2,884,563.52 
			 2005-06 4,052,158.18 
			 2006-07 1,864,398.91 
			 Total 11,590,522.00 
		
	
	Out of a budget of 12.5 million the Clear Skies scheme paid the following household grants:
	
		
			  Household grants paid by Clear Skies 
			
			 2003-04 559,000 
			 2004-05 1,559,650 
			 2005-06 1,329,400 
			 2006-07 806,810 
			 Total 4,254,860 
		
	
	Currently under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme a 2,500 maximum grant amount can be claimed per household for up to three technologies and grant levels vary according to the technology installed. Out of a total budget of 36 million the Low Carbon Buildings Programme phase 1 has paid out the following amount in household grants:
	
		
			  Low Carbon Buildings Programme grants paid to householders 
			
			 2006-07 2,610,246.01 
			 2007-08 4,208,018.62 
			 2008-09 (to date) 2,477,108.64 
			 Total 9,295,373.27

Wind Power

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many wind farms he expects to begin being constructed in each of the next five years.

Mike O'Brien: In order for the UK to meet its share of the EU renewables target, we expect new wind farm projects to begin construction in the next five years. However, it is not possible at this stage to predict the exact number and timings.
	There are currently 176 onshore and offshore wind developments (7855.1 MWe) which have received consent and are awaiting construction in the UK. The years in which these projects will begin construction depend on developers' plans.
	Additionally, there are 224 onshore and offshore wind projects (7261.7 MWe) currently in the planning system. These may not all receive consent. However, a number of those that do receive consent may begin construction in the next five years. Further projects not currently in planning may also come forward in this timeframe.

Wind Power

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many wind turbines he expects to begin being constructed in each of the next five years.

Mike O'Brien: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to his question 259459 today regarding the number of wind farms expected to begin construction in the next five years. It is not possible to provide a precise figure for the number of turbines as this will vary by site according to factors such as location and wind speed. In addition, larger turbines are being developed, meaning fewer turbines may be needed.
	However, taking an average turbine size of 3 megawatts (MW) it is possible to estimate the number of turbines which may be built for projects awaiting construction and those presently in the planning system.
	For example, there are currently 7855.1 MWe of onshore and offshore wind developments awaiting construction. This would be equivalent to 2618 3MW turbines. For those in planning, 7261.7 MWe of onshore and offshore wind would be equivalent to 2420 3MW turbines. However, not all of these projects may receive consent.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Catering

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which  (a) food and  (b) drinks suppliers have been used by his Department in each of the last three years; and how much his Department paid to each such supplier in each of those years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department authorises the expenditure of public funds on food and drink only where it is in the public interest and conducive to the conduct of public business. Such expenditure is in the context of a Department of over 100,000 staff dealing, on a daily basis, with many thousands of employers, suppliers and other partners.
	In 1998 the Department entered into a 20 year Private Finance Initiative deal with Trillium, known as the PRIME Contract, for the provision of fully serviced accommodation, including catering, for which the Department pays a fully inclusive unitary charge. Services are delivered through a network of Service Partners and Trillium's Service Partner for catering is Eurest. Local suppliers are used where Eurest is unable to provide a service at a particular site. Expenditure with Eurest for the three years and with the other suppliers for 2006-07 and 2007-08 is provided in the following table.
	Non-Eurest expenditure information for 2005-06 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Detail is provided for the top five suppliers only, as there are almost 400 other suppliers.
	
		
			   Supplier  Expenditure( 1)( ) () 
			 2005-06 Eurest 540,000 
			 Total  540,000 
			
			 2006-07 Eurest 590,000 
			  O'Briens Sandwich Bar 40,000 
			  Le Mange Tout 20,000 
			  Northern Land and Leisure 10,000 
			  Archers Catering 10,000 
			  Celebration Caterers 10,000 
			  Others 220,000 
			 Total  900,000 
			
			 2007-08 Eurest 760,000 
			  MacLellan International Ltd. 90,000 
			  O'Briens Sandwich Bar 40,000 
			  Northern Land and Leisure 40,000 
			  Compact Catering 40,000 
			  Amanda's 20,000 
			  Others 620,000 
			 Total  1,610,000 
			 (1) In December 2006 a software improvement was introduced on the Department's Resource Management (RM) computer system, which enabled hospitality to be captured more accurately for the last three months of 2006-07 and for all of 2007-08. While the effect of this has caused an apparent increase in hospitality between 2006-07 and 2007-08, there is no evidence that actual hospitality expenditure has increased.

Departmental Data Protection

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2009,  Official Report, column 573W, on departmental data protection, whether the Customer Information System  (a) is accredited to his Department's information systems security standards and  (b) was so accredited before 1 July 2008.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Customer Information System was accredited for compliance with the Department's prevailing information system security standards in 2005. The system has not subsequently been accredited to the new standards published by the Cabinet Office last year, which only apply to those systems introduced from 1 July 2008. All current systems that are not accredited to the new standards are fully authorised for use with any residual risks having been identified and managed.

Departmental Data Protection

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2009,  Official Report, column 573W, on departmental data protection, whether a privacy impact assessment has been carried out on the Customer Information System.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Cabinet Office requirement for privacy impact assessments applies to new systems introduced after 1 July 2008. The Customer Information System was introduced several years ago, and therefore a privacy impact assessment is not required.

Departmental Pay

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the hourly rate of pay was for the lowest paid staff in his Department in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The DWP pays employees an annual salary and does not use an hourly rate.
	The following table details the minimum of the AA/Band A National pay scale, along with an hourly rate equivalent. As at December 2008, 393 of the Department's total staff of 94,297 (full time equivalent) were on this rate.
	
		
			   
			   AA National minimum annual salary  AA National minimum hourly rate equivalent( 1) 
			 2008 12,850 6.65 
			 2007 12,590 6.52 
			 2006 12,340 6.39 
			 2005 11,750 6.08 
			 2004 11,190 5.79 
			 (1) The hourly calculation is based on net 37 hours per week, the required full-time working hours.

Departmental Working Hours

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the policy of his Department and its agencies is on granting staff time off in lieu for working  (a) in lunch breaks,  (b) in evenings and  (c) at other times outside contracted working hours; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information is as follows:
	 (a) Obligations and rights concerning the working day and breaks at work are contained in a collective agreement with departmental trade unions.
	Time off in lieu for working lunch breaks is not granted. The Department recognises that working for long periods without taking a break is not good for an individual. For this reason DWP staff are expected to take a meal break at an appropriate point in the day.
	 (b) Time off in lieu of working evenings is only available to individuals not contracted to work this pattern.
	 (c) As a result of working outside contracted hours and as an alternative to extra hours or overtime pay, an employee may, with their line manager's agreement, take time off in lieu for the hours actually worked, excluding meal breaks. In agreeing to this, a line manager will balance the individual's request with business needs.

Departmental Working Hours

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many days off in lieu were granted to staff in  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies for working (i) in lunch breaks and (ii) at other times outside contracted working hours, in the last year for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: DWP does not maintain central records of the total or average days taken off in lieu by employees. To extract this information from individual records for the period requested would incur a disproportionate cost. Non-departmental public bodies do not hold this information.

Disability Living Allowance

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in receipt of  (a) attendance allowance and  (b) disability living allowance have recorded dementia as a qualifying medical condition on their applications for benefit; what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on automatic enrolment for the (i) 25 per cent. council tax discount for two person households where one of the residents is in receipt of attendance allowance or disability living allowance and (ii) 100 per cent. council tax discount where a single person household is in receipt of attendance allowance or disability living allowance; what estimate his Department has made of the take up of the (A) 25 per cent. and (B) 100 per cent. council tax discounts among households in receipt of attendance allowance or disability living allowance; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: As at the end of August 2008, there were 107,130 people in receipt of attendance allowance and 10,300 people in receipt of disability living allowance where their main disabling condition has been recorded as dementia.
	There have been no discussions at ministerial or official level with the Department for Communities and Local Government regarding automatic enrolment for council tax discounts. No estimates have been made about the take-up of council tax discounts among households where someone is in receipt of attendance allowance or disability living allowance.
	 Notes:
	1. Disability living allowance figures are rounded to the nearest 100 and have been adjusted to be consistent with WPLS data. Attendance allowance caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	2. Although the preferred data source for benefit statistics is 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study, the 5 per cent. sample data have been used in this case because they provide some detail not yet available from the 100 per. cent data sources, in particular, more complete information on the disabling condition of disability living allowance claimants.
	3. Where more than one disability is present only the main disabling condition is recorded.
	4. A diagnosed medical condition does not mean that someone is automatically entitled to disability living allowance. Entitlement is dependent on an assessment of how much help someone needs with personal care and/or mobility because of their disability. These statistics are only collected for administrative purposes.
	5. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital.
	 Sources:
	Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5 per cent. sample (DLA) and DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (AA)

Disability Living Allowance: EC Nationals

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many nationals of each non-UK EU member state were in receipt of each rate of disability living allowance for the most recent period for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Electronic Data Systems

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department  (a) is contractually obliged to spend and  (b) plans to spend on services provided by EDS in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) The amounts the Department is contractually obliged to spend with EDS for IT services are: 190 million in respect of 2008-09 and 181 million in respect of 2009-10.
	 (b) The current estimated expenditure with EDS is 554 million in 2008-09 and 434 million in 2009-10.

Electronic Data Systems

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which of his Department's IT projects EDS is involved with; and which are project managed by  (a) EDS employees and  (b) officials of his Department.

Jonathan R Shaw: Although the Department for Work and Pensions does not have any discrete IT projects, it has a number of projects and programmes that include changes to, or new, IT to a greater or lesser extent.
	The following table includes:
	the projects and programmes currently on the Department's Portfolio where the IT element of the project or programme results in the development and/or implementation of services that underpin the delivery of departmental business; and
	with which EDS have involvement to a greater or lesser extent.
	All the projects listed are managed by departmental officials.
	Initiatives that are associated with ongoing system improvements or enhancements as part of business as usual are excluded.
	
		
			  Table 1: Current DWP IT projects which have EDS involvement 
			 Project Purpose 
			 Employment and support allowance The project delivers the systems, processes and training to support delivery of the new Employment and Support Allowance. 
			 Customer information system This project will deliver a database of key citizen information to be shared across DWP. The database will complement information currently available in the Department's key customer information systems, i.e. Personal Details Computer System and Departmental Central Index, and become their replacement. Consideration is being given for wider use of CIS by other Government Departments. 
			 Central payments system A modern integrated central payment engine and accounts payable system to improve accounting for benefit/pension payments. The system will also reduce risks of service failure, increase speed and efficiency, and provide information to improve customer service and reduce fraud and error. 
			 Pensions transformation programme The programme will transform The Pension Service, bringing together business and IT change in ways that improve customer service and deliver efficiencies. 
			 Pension reform delivery programme To co-ordinate, manage and deliver a range of measures and consequential impacts which will establish a new structure for the UK Pension System long term. 
			 Document repository service This project seeks to support the Department's modernisation programmes through the provision of a document repository to store digitised images of documents received from customers (letters, faxes, emails etc.), cutting down paper in the organisation. 
			 Data centre strategy The project is addressing the ongoing continued threat of business service continuity with a replacement strategy for Washington Data Centre. 
			 DWP change programme This programme brigades a number of complementary initiatives to deliver the DWP Business Vision. It includes projects to bring in continuous improvement using lean techniques which should allow greater customer focus and efficiency in our process and business improvement projects to allow greater access to information. 
			 Provider referrals and payment project Deploy an IT system to automate and enable payment transactions between Jobcentre Plus and training providers. 
			 Local services integration programme To provide local services with an IT solution that supports the end to end process making administration more efficient.

Electronic Data Systems

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what contracts his Department currently holds with EDS; and when each is due to expire.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department contracts with EDS for the following services:
	
		
			  Services  Due to expire  Additional information 
			 Desktop 31 August 2010 Can be extended to 23 February 2015 
			 Hosting and Data Centre 22 February 2015 n/a 
			 Application Development 31 August 2010 Can be extended to 23 February 2015 
			 Application Maintenance and Support 31 August 2010 Can be extended to 23 February 2015 
			 Service Integration and Management 31 August 2010 Can be extended to 23 February 2015 
			 Clarke House Norcross print/output centre sub lease 31 August 2010 Can be extended to 23 February 2015 
			 SDC4 Data Centre Durham House Washington data centre and print/output centre sub lease 31 August 2010 Can be extended to 23 February 2015 
			 Durham House Washington (Tower) EDS occupy office space under a licence agreement 31 August 2010 Can be extended to 23 February 2015

Employment Services: Redundancy

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the additional 3 million funding for the Jobcentre Plus Rapid Response Service will be available; how many additional staff will be employed by the Rapid Response Service as a result of the additional funding; and how the additional 3 million of funding will be allocated.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 9 February 2009
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking when the additional 3 million funding for the Jobcentre Plus Rapid Response Service will come into effect; how many additional staff will be employed by the Rapid Response Service as a result of the additional funding; and how the additional 3 million of funding will be allocated. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	An additional 3 million is available for the Rapid Response Service (RRS) in the 2008/09 financial year to support the expansion of the service. A further 6 million is also available for the next financial year, 2009/10. In total therefore there is now 6 million available for RRS in 2008/09 and 12 million in 2009/10.
	The additional funds for 2008/09 are available already. This funding is to provide direct support to individuals facing redundancy rather than for extra Jobcentre Plus staffing.
	I should set the position in its full context. We typically deliver our Rapid Response Service in partnership with other local agenciesfor example local authorities, the Learning and Skills Council in England and others. It is very common for these partnerships to be able to provide the support and services individuals need from within their existing resourcesfor example, local Jobcentre Plus staff would make initial workplace presentations, existing publicly funded training opportunities would be made available to people.
	In that context, our Rapid Response Service funding is designed to ensure that we are able to deliver support which individuals need in a specific situation, but which cannot be sourced from partners' existing programmes and operations. Examples of the uses of RRS funding include providing individuals with a Skills Transfer Analysis, enabling individuals to undertake job-related training that is not available through partners' existing programmes and supporting individuals to be able to take up a new job, for example with initial travel costs.
	I should add that each Jobcentre Plus district has appointed a Rapid Response Manager to co-ordinate RRS support. Those posts have however been funded from the resources for extra staff announced for Jobcentre Plus in the Pre-Budget Report rather than from the additional funds for RRS.
	We have allocated the additional RRS funding equally between each English region, Scotland, and Wales. A similar amount is held centrally in a contingency fund for those who need to call on any extra funds.

Incapacity Benefit

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of incapacity benefit claimants in each region have been in receipt of incapacity benefits for five years or more; and what those numbers are per 100,000 population in each region;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of incapacity benefit claimants had been in receipt of the benefit for five years or more in each of the last four quarters for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 23 February 2009
	The information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  The number and proportion of working age incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claimants of over five years by Government Office Region and per 100,000 of the working age population 
			  Government Office Region  Caseload of recipients over five years  Proportion of total caseload ( percentage )  Claimants of over five years per 100,000 of working age population 
			 North East 93,020 60.5 4,193 
			 North West 228,630 58.4 3,589 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 130,060 56.7 2,824 
			 East Midlands 98,400 55.4 2,665 
			 West Midlands 130,670 55.4 2,774 
			 East 94,410 53.1 1,912 
			 London 161,590 53.1 1,538 
			 South East 122,910 51.8 1,657 
			 South West 102,730 53.6 2,273 
			 Wales 112,970 59.7 4,644 
			 Scotland 168,640 58.0 3,623 
			 Great Britain 1,444,030 56.0 2,643 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Durations refer to incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance awards. 3. Working age population figures are for GB only, taken from the Office for National Statistics mid year population estimate for 2007. 4.  Data available from www.nomis.co.uk.  Source:  Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate, 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 
		
	
	
		
			  The number and percentage of working age incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claimants who have been receiving benefit for more than five years in each of the last four quarters for which figures are available 
			   November 2007  February 2008  May 2008  August 2008 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 Great Britain 1,457,160 55.4 1,452,590 55.7 1,448,050 56.0 1,444,030 56.0 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Durations refer to incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance awards. 3. Data available from www.nomis.co.uk  Source:  Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate, 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Invalid Vehicles: Elderly

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment his Department has made of provision for motor assistance for those aged over 65 years who are ineligible for the Motability scheme.

Jonathan R Shaw: No recent assessment has been made specifically of the provision of motor assistance for those aged over 65 years. Recipients of benefits paid to those aged over 65 years are free to spend their benefit according to their own priorities.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how long on average it took to process a claim for jobseeker's allowance in the last four weeks for which figures are available; and how many claims took over 14 days to process in this period.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 2 February 2009
	 The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon of 29 October 2008 on behalf of Alison Crump, regarding legal advice given to those completing benefit forms.

Jonathan R Shaw: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 26 February 2009.

Social Security Benefits: Disabled

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 24 February 2009,  Official Report, column 22WS, on disability benefits, what changes his Department has made to the eligibility criteria for payment of disability benefits as a consequence of the consideration of the European Court of Justice decision of 18 October 2007.

Jonathan R Shaw: There have been no changes to the eligibility criteria for payment of disability benefits applied domestically, as a consequence of the European Court of Justice judgment of 18 October 2007.
	For people going to live or already living in another European economic area (EEA) state or Switzerland, their claims must be considered under the provisions of the sickness benefit chapter of the European Regulation 1408/71. For these customers, the ordinary residence and presence conditions, which apply domestically, are not applied. Other domestic conditions of entitlement, such as the disability conditions and the past presence test, still apply. The latter test, under domestic legislation, requires a customer to be present in Great Britain for not less than 26 out of the last 52 weeks and it applies for every day that a customer claims benefit. However, for people going to live or already living in another EEA state or Switzerland, the test has been modified: for customers taking the benefit away with them, it is last applied on the date of 'export' and for customers claiming from another EEA state or Switzerland it is applied only once, on the date on which entitlement to benefit can be established.

State Retirement Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  when he will publish details of the scheme under the Pensions Act 2008 allowing people to buy back additional years of Class 3 National Insurance contributions; from what date the new Act will apply; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he plans to  (a) publish explanatory literature,  (b) establish a telephone help contact point and  (c) provide other public information on the terms of the scheme under the Pensions Act 2008 for people to buy back additional years of Class 3 national insurance contributions; what personalised advice services will be provided to individuals on making such payments; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 9 February 2009
	 On 24 October the Government announced that certain people reaching state pension age between 6 April 2008 and 5 April 2015 could pay up to six extra years of voluntary class 3 national insurance contributions for tax years from 1975, providing they already have 20 qualifying years (including full years of home responsibilities protection). This measure was contained in the 2008 Pensions Act.
	Information about the measure is available on the Pension Service website at:
	www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/state-pension/basic/faqs.asp
	That information can also be accessed from the HM Revenue and Customs website. We will update the information before the measure comes into force on 6 April 2009. I am placing a copy in the Library.
	The Department for Work and Pensions and HM Revenue and Customs are also currently working together to agree business procedures for the measure and what changes may be needed to leaflets, letters and forms.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Rural Community Enterprises

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what support she plans to make available to community enterprises in rural areas in 2009-10.

Hazel Blears: My Department is finalising the details of our 70m Community Builders programme which will support and sustain community led organisations in local neighbourhoods to improve opportunities for local people. All community enterprises, both rural and urban, are welcome to apply.

Traveller Sites

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the latest guidance to local authorities is on provision of sites for Travellers.

Sadiq Khan: Planning Policy for the provision of sites for Gypsies and Travellers is set out in ODPM Circular 01/2006.
	Local Authorities and Gypsies and Travellers: A Guide to Responsibilities and Powers was published in May 2007 and is available on the Communities and Local Government website.

Rough Sleeping

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what methodology her Department uses to estimate levels of rough sleeping.

Iain Wright: The methodology is set out in the Department's guidance on evaluating the extent of rough sleeping which has been developed in conjunction with the voluntary sector. Our new rough sleeping strategy 'No One Left Out' will bring in changes that will enable more in-depth reporting of rough sleeping.

Social Housing: Oxfordshire

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding she plans to make available for social housing in Oxfordshire in the next five years.

Margaret Beckett: Nearly 26 million has so far been committed for affordable housing in Oxfordshire from the Homes and Communities Agency's 2008-11 programme. This will support provision of 1,400 units, around 60 per cent. of which are planned to be for social rent. Further funding will depend on value for money and deliverability of schemes.

Working Neighbourhoods Fund

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes to the Working Neighbourhoods Fund will be introduced as a result of the recent consultation on the revision of eligibility criteria for local authorities.

Hazel Blears: The changes are that the third criterion is revised to make use of the most up-to-date population estimates, and that the cut-off point is extended from 40 to 50 authorities. This enables us to maintain in broad terms the number of authorities who qualify for Working Neighbourhood Fund.

Flood Risk: Development

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what planning guidance her Department has issued to local planning authorities on development of areas at risk of flooding.

John Healey: Planning Policy Statement 25 (PPS25), Development and Flood Risk, provides the policy framework for local planning authorities to avoid, manage and reduce flood risk to new development. This is supported by the Practice Guide we published in June 2008 to assist local planners in implementing PPS25 policy.

Regional Fire Control Rooms

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for the establishment of regional fire control rooms.

Sadiq Khan: We are aiming to achieve cutover to the first three regional control centres in the North East, East Midlands and South West in summer 2010nine months later than previously expected, with the full system in place by spring 2012, five months later than originally planned.

Repeat Planning Applications

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has issued to planning authorities on procedures applicable to repeat planning applications.

Iain Wright: The current guidance to local authorities on repeat applications is in the departmental circular 08/2005. This provision, from the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, extends the existing power to decline to determine planning applications dismissed on appeal to include those repeat applications refused by the planning authority and where there was no appeal to the Secretary of State in the last two years.

House Building

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions her Department has had with representatives of the construction industry on likely levels of house-building during the economic downturn.

Iain Wright: The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has lead responsibility for sponsorship of the construction industry. However, my Department, and our agencies, such as the Homes and Communities Agency, have regular dialogue with those sectors of the industry most directly engaged in meeting our departmental strategic objectives. This includes, but is not restricted to, house builders and developers and their supply chain partners. The dialogue is maintained largely through regular meetings with both individual representatives and representative bodies, such as the Home Builders Federation, as well as participation in round-tables, seminars and other fora. The downturn in house building levels has featured regularly in these discussions, as have many other issues facing the industry. The Government have been keen to explore ways to ensure that the effects of the downturn on house building output can be mitigated, so that vital new homes continue to be constructed, jobs and skills can be protected, and so that everything possible is in place to assist a rapid recovery in the market.

Gypsy and Traveller Sites

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans her Department has for the future provision of Gypsy and Traveller sites.

Sadiq Khan: Planning policy for the provision of Gypsy And Traveller sites is set out in ODPM circular 01/2006: Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Caravan Sites. Local authorities have a duty to assess the accommodation needs of Gypsies And Travellers and identify enough land to meet the number of pitches set out in the regional spatial strategy. The Homes and Communities Agency will continue to provide funding for the provision of new public sites.

Social Housing: North-West England

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many families were re-housed into social housing from social housing registers in the North West in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: My Department does not gather the information in the form requested. However, it does gather the information on the number of social homes let.
	The following information is for the North West and covers the period requested.
	
		
			   Total 
			 2003-04 65,649 
			 2004-05 57,555 
			 2005-06 50,041 
			 2006-07 51,477 
			 2007-08 47,442

Business Rates: Humber Ports

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her policy is on the retrospective levying of business rates in the Humber ports; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: The review of ports by the Valuation Office Agency was to ensure that all individual business within and outside of ports are treated in the same way. In the current economic climate the Government understand it could be harder for businesses that are faced with significant unexpected backdated bills of more than 33 months from 1 April 2005 to discharge their liabilities, which is why legislation has been laid before Parliament so that businesses facing such bills in those circumstances will not be required to pay their backdated liability within the financial year at present, and will be able to do so in equal interest-free instalments over eight years.

Repossessed and Empty Houses

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of changes in the number of  (a) repossessed and  (b) empty houses in the last 12 months.

Iain Wright: In the 12 months to December 2008 there were 40,000 repossessions in the UK. This compares to 26,200 in the 12 months to December 2007.
	 Source
	Council of Mortgage Lenders.
	The number of long term empty homes in England as at 15 September 2008 is 328,000. This compares to 314,000 on 17 September 2007.
	 Source:
	Council Taxbase and Council Taxbase Supplementary (CTBl and CTBIS) returns from local authorities.

Right-to-buy Sales

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many right-to-buy sales of council houses she expects to take place during 2009-10; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: The information requested is not available. It is up to each individual tenant who qualifies for the right-to-buy to decide whether to purchase their homes, in the light of their personal circumstances.

Sustainable Communities Act 2007

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what mechanisms her Department uses to evaluate the effectiveness of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007.

Sadiq Khan: Last October the Secretary of State invited local authorities to submit proposals under the Sustainable Communities Act. Local authorities have until 31 July 2009 to put forward proposals. The Local Government Association and Communities and Local Government will consider the lessons from the first round as it develops, and will publish information on further invitations in due course.

Asylum: Expenditure

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department spent on the Gateway refugee programme in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008.

Sadiq Khan: The Gateway refugee programme is administered by the United Kingdom Borders Agency. Communities and Local Government makes no financial contribution.

Compulsory Purchase: Travelling People

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has issued to local planning authorities on the use of compulsory purchase powers to obtain land for new authorised Traveller pitches.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 4 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1278W.

Council Housing: Standards

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1778W, on council housing: Crosby, how much funding has been allocated to Sefton Borough Council in 2008-09 to reduce the number of council homes that do not meet the Decent Homes Standard.

Iain Wright: No funding has been allocated to Sefton metropolitan borough council in 2008-09 to reduce the number of council homes that do not meet the Decent Homes Standard. The council transferred its stock to One Vision Housing (a Registered Social Landlord) under large scale voluntary transfer arrangements in October 2006).

Council Housing: Sustainable Development

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much on average it cost a local authority to build a unit of new social housing to Code for Sustainable Homes Level 5 standard at the latest period for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: There are no requirements for new homes funded by Government to be built to code level 5, only level 3. Currently, the only costs analysis we have completed of building to the code are those in Cost Analysis of the Code for Sustainable Homes published in July 2008, written by Cyrill Sweett. The report is available to download at
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/codecostanalysis.
	We are currently in the process of updating the cost analysis for the consultation on the code, in light of changes to Building Regulations in 2010.

Disadvantaged

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell of 16 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1410W, on pensioners: low incomes, what the 2007 Indices of Multiple Deprivation data on emergency admissions to hospital are, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

John Healey: Indices of Multiple Deprivation data on emergency admissions to hospital are published at lower super output area level (geographical units with an average of 1,500 population).
	We do not produce a score for this at parliamentary constituency level.

European Regional Development

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what restrictions she has placed on applications by English regions for unspent European Regional Development funding.

John Healey: The 2000-06 ERDF programmes were scheduled to cease spending as of 31 December 2008. Therefore the issue of the placing of restrictions does not apply.

HomeBuy Scheme

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes were purchased under 
	(1)  the New Build HomeBuy Scheme in  (a) each region and  (b) each London borough in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08; and how many have been purchased in each area in 2008-09 to date;
	(2)  the Open Market HomeBuy Scheme in  (a) each region and  (b) each London borough in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08; and how many have been purchased in each area in 2008-09 to date.

Margaret Beckett: The following table shows the regional distribution of open market homebuy and new build homebuy completions for 2006-07, 2007-08 and up to end of January 2009 for 2008-09. These are based on the local authority in which the property is located.
	
		
			   Open market homebuy  New build homebuy 
			  Region name (by location)  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 to end January  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 to end January 
			 North East 1 12 22 100 106 112 
			 North West 66 191 174 724 905 393 
			 Yorks and Humber 31 98 234 303 393 285 
			 East Midlands 64 78 212 810 1,301 630 
			 West Midlands 137 149 352 651 1,339 614 
			 Eastern 378 541 861 1,211 1,770 559 
			 London 787 478 856 3,549 4,786 2,418 
			 South East 951 977 1,537 2,844 2,963 1,464 
			 South West 92 352 607 825 1,317 774 
			  2,507 2,876 4,855 11,017 14,880 7,249 
			  Source:  Homes and Communities Agency Investment Management System 
		
	
	The following table shows the figures for each London borough of open market homebuy and new build homebuy completions for 2006-07, 2007-08 and up to end of January 2009 for 2008-09. These are based on the local authority in which the property is located.
	
		
			   Open market homebuy  New build homebuy 
			  Location LA name  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 to end January  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 to end January 
			 City of London 0 0 7 0 0 0 
			 Barking and Dagenham 32 18 24 122 160 13 
			 Barnet 15 20 29 18 48 27 
			 Bexley 42 29 65 49 164 0 
			 Brent 8 5 10 184 109 220 
			 Bromley 65 24 59 36 97 48 
			 Camden 3 0 10 19 51 27 
			 Croydon 63 34 66 151 212 29 
			 Ealing 21 15 17 362 174 101 
			 Enfield 50 25 35 96 223 0 
			 Greenwich 45 21 42 233 292 42 
			 Hackney 12 9 11 284 315 294 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3 3 8 134 143 81 
			 Haringey 22 17 13 144 174 115 
			 Harrow 9 17 16 37 87 101 
			 Havering 21 18 24 38 99 101 
			 Hillingdon 29 21 24 49 63 0 
			 Hounslow 13 17 20 210 514 44 
			 Islington 13 2 11 353 111 42 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 0 0 2 22 14 4 
			 Kingston upon Thames 22 12 28 8 27 0 
			 Lambeth 34 21 44 16 112 101 
			 Lewisham 72 26 46 10 183 4 
			 Merton 25 7 24 29 163 30 
			 Newham 12 6 18 171 290 184 
			 Redbridge 26 18 19 90 15 46 
			 Richmond upon Thames 8 11 22 12 50 32 
			 Southwark 14 15 11 142 237 109 
			 Sutton 53 36 71 12 10 90 
			 Tower Hamlets 7 3 10 272 426 378 
			 Waltham Forest 24 23 38 91 38 17 
			 Wandsworth 20 3 25 147 168 136 
			 Westminster 4 2 7 8 17 2 
			  787 478 856 3,549 4,786 2,418 
			  Source:  Homes and Communities Agency Investment Management System

HomeBuy Scheme

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many developers have submitted bids to the Homes and Communities Agency to participate in the HomeBuy Direct scheme; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how many individuals had applied for assistance under the HomeBuy Direct scheme at the latest date for which figures are available;
	(3)  when she expects the HomeBuy Direct scheme to be fully operational; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  by what date she expects the first properties to be purchased via the HomeBuy Direct scheme.

Iain Wright: Allowing for bids from different operating companies within recognised overall group structures, 133 organisations submitted bids to the Homes and Communities Agency to provide the HomeBuy Direct scheme on more than 23,000 properties. This strong response from developers has allowed us to expand the scheme to help up to 18,000 first time buyers (rather than up to 10,000 as was originally planned).
	The scheme is now in the process of being rolled out. 3,000 HomeBuy Direct properties are available to purchasers now, and further properties will become available very soon.
	The Homes and Communities Agency does not collect data on the number of applications from individuals for the scheme.

Housing: Construction

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many private sector dwellings were  (a) started and  (b) completed in each quarter of each of the last 30 years.

Iain Wright: The following table shows the number of private enterprise new house building starts and completions in England in each quarter since 1980.
	
		
			  Private enterprise new house building starts and completions in England, in each quarter since 1980 
			Private enterprise 
			Starts  Completions 
			 1980 Q1 20,640 28,090 
			  Q2 25,280 26,690 
			  Q3 20,430 27,440 
			  Q4 17,770 28,010 
			 
			 1981 Q1 23,020 25,430 
			  Q2 28,250 22,360 
			  Q3 28,590 24,760 
			  Q4 21,990 26,340 
			 
			 1982 Q1 27,940 24,870 
			  Q2 33,740 24,990 
			  Q3 33,400 26,480 
			  Q4 28,150 32,450 
			 
			 1983 Q1 35,420 28,860 
			  Q2 42,700 31,740 
			  Q3 39,430 31,320 
			  Q4 33,440 37,570 
			 
			 1984 Q1 33,010 34,380 
			  Q2 39,460 31,770 
			  Q3 36,020 34,600 
			  Q4 29,800 38,230 
			 
			 1985 Q1 29,900 32,480 
			  Q2 40,130 32,520 
			  Q3 39,760 32,670 
			  Q4 34,490 37,780 
			 
			 1986 Q1 32,430 32,410 
			  Q2 45,750 34,990 
			  Q3 44,350 36,460 
			  Q4 36,360 45,030 
			 
			 1987 Q1 39,960 38,660 
			  Q2 45,860 38,660 
			  Q3 48,180 39,270 
			  Q4 40,890 45,150 
			 
			 1988 Q1 45,880 44,380 
			  Q2 54,780 41,770 
			  Q3 50,240 44,730 
			  Q4 45,070 45,140 
			 
			 1989 Q1 40,570 40,400 
			  Q2 41,700 37,310 
			  Q3 33,410 37,000 
			  Q4 26,220 39,290 
			 
			 1990 Q1 29,470 34,840 
			  Q2 30,440 31,540 
			  Q3 28,310 33,010 
			  Q4 24,510 36,660 
			 
			 1991 Q1 25,700 31,280 
			  Q2 32,500 32,150 
			  Q3 31,460 32,890 
			  Q4 24,650 34,860 
			 
			 1992 Q1 26,940 32,150 
			  Q2 28,910 28,550 
			  Q3 24,510 29,850 
			  Q4 19,230 28,980 
			 
			 1993 Q1 29,110 28,530 
			  Q2 31,560 27,890 
			  Q3 30,130 28,550 
			  Q4 25,660 31,670 
			 
			 1994 Q1 32,590 27,950 
			  Q2 36,980 29,220 
			  Q3 33,470 31,810 
			  Q4 28,360 33,730 
			 
			 1995 Q1 29,220 30,990 
			  Q2 33,040 31,880 
			  Q3 27,280 30,690 
			  Q4 20,870 31,910 
			 
			 1996 Q1 26,960 29,140 
			  Q2 31,590 28,570 
			  Q3 33,100 30,300 
			  Q4 29,940 33,550 
			 
			 1997 Q1 35,320 28,750 
			  Q2 35,360 33,090 
			  Q3 34,340 31,660 
			  Q4 31,060 34,730 
			 
			 1998 Q1 35,530 28,350 
			  Q2 34,760 31,320 
			  Q3 33,870 30,580 
			  Q4 27,420 32,260 
			 
			 1999 Q1 33,600 27,040 
			  Q2 34,620 29,980 
			  Q3 32,780 32,450 
			  Q4 29,460 33,720 
			 
			 2000 Q1 35,690 28,320 
			  Q2 36,190 30,440 
			  Q3 33,720 28,490 
			  Q4 25,790 31,090 
			 
			 2001 Q1 32,900 26,630 
			  Q2 36,590 28,020 
			  Q3 36,160 29,210 
			  Q4 30,670 30,980 
			 
			 2002 Q1 35,420 27,490 
			  Q2 34,980 30,820 
			  Q3 36,490 29,640 
			  Q4 30,290 35,370 
			 
			 2003 Q1 37,930 28,630 
			  Q2 38,970 32,370 
			  Q3 37,350 30,920 
			  Q4 33,270 39,130 
			 
			 2004 Q1 39,180 27,670 
			  Q2 43,820 35,730 
			  Q3 42,350 36,120 
			  Q4 36,800 37,810 
			 
			 2005 Q1 36,980 29,470 
			  Q2 45,000 36,710 
			  Q3 40,760 33,550 
			  Q4 38,380 42,010 
			 
			 2006 Q1 43,300 32,670 
			  Q2 42,740 38,350 
			  Q3 36,000 32,340 
			  Q4 37,340 36,550 
			 
			 2007 Q1 39,170 38,450 
			  Q2 38,940 38,490 
			  Q3 38,630 33,950 
			  Q4 33,900 41,210 
			 
			 2008 Q1 28,410 29,940 
			  Q2 28,100 31,790 
			  Q3 17,390 25,840 
			  Q4 12,280 28,140 
			  Source: New build starts and completions from P2 monthly and quarterly returns submitted by local authorities and the National House-Building Council to Communities and Local Government.

Housing: Expenditure

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much central Government expenditure there was on housing in  (a) cash and  (b) real terms in each year since 1979.

Sadiq Khan: Data on public expenditure by function are published annually in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses. The latest edition was published in April 2008 (HC 489) and includes data from financial year 1987-88 up to and including 2007-08.

Housing: North West

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to increase access to affordable housing in  (a) Warrington and  (b) the North West.

Iain Wright: The Joint Economic Commission for the North West is looking at actions to ensure that affordable housing continues to be delivered during the economic downturn. The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has made 526 million available between 2008 and 2011 to support authorities across the North West. In Warrington, the HCA has already allocated nearly 13 million to deliver 318 homes. This is in addition to a range of other proposals being considered by Warrington borough council, the HCA and local housing associations.

Lobbying

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1697-8W, on Lord Truscott, whether Baroness Andrews was involved in decisions on the application for the development of a natural gas storage facility at Preesall Saltfield, Fleetwood, Lancashire.

Iain Wright: Ministerial decisions on recovered planning appeals and called-in planning applications are all taken in the name of the Secretary of State, often by other planning Ministers. In this particular case, the decision was taken by Baroness Andrews. Ministers adhere to strict propriety rules when making decisions on planning cases, as set out at:
	http://www.communities.gov,uk/publications/planningandbuilding/guidanceplanningpropriety

Local Government Finance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much on average it cost a local authority to service a debt of  (a) 500,000 and  (b) 1,000,000 borrowed (i) on the private markets and (ii) from the Public Works Loans Board in each of the last five years.

John Healey: The costs to a local authority of servicing a debt covering money borrowed will depend on a number of factors, such as for example, whether the loan was taken out on a fixed rate or a variable basis. Both the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) and the private sector offer a number of different loan arrangements. Local authorities are under a responsibility to ensure that they can afford the self-financed borrowing, as set out in the prudential system.

Local Government Finance: Eastbourne

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of invoice payments made by Eastbourne Borough Council in 2007-08 were made within the Government's 10-day target period.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for East Yorkshire (Mr. Knight) on 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 242W.

Local Government Finance: Westminster

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what grants her Department has given to Westminster City Council in each year since 2005-06; what sums were awarded; in what category of expenditure each grant fell; and what grant allocations have been made for 2009-10.

Sadiq Khan: In respect of 2005-06 to 2007-08, I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend gave on 12 June 2008,  Official Report, column 502W.
	The following table shows forecast expenditure in 2008-09 and planned expenditure in 2009-10.
	
		
			   million 
			   2008-09 (forecast)  2009-10 (plan) 
			  Programme capital   
			  Programme revenue   
			 Revenue Support Grant 21.5 33.5 
			 National Non Domestic Rates 154.3 145.3 
			 Local Authority Business Growth Incentives Scheme (LABGI)(1) 4.4  
			 Housing Revenue Account Subsidy 6.9 6.9 
			 Homelessness (inc Overcrowding)(2) 6.8 6.8 
			 Housing and Planning Delivery Grant(3) 0.1  
			 Area Based Grant 15.7 16.2 
			 Total 209.7 4 208.7 
			
			 Supporting People 17.1 17.1 
			 Hostel Capital Improvement 0.8 0.0 
			 Housing and Planning Delivery Grant(3) 0.1  
			 Disabled Facilities Grant 0 5 0 5 
			 Total 18.5 17.6 
			 (1) The outturn for LABGI in 2007-08 was 13.3 million and expenditure for 2009-10 is yet to be announced. (2) The Homelessness programme was transferred to the Homes and Communities Agency in December 2008. (3) Housing and Planning Delivery grant for local authorities in 2009-10 is yet to be determined. 
		
	
	The Westminster city council local area agreement finishes at the end of March 2009. The council will then be able to claim Performance Reward Grant up to a maximum of 7.056 million depending on the level of success it achieves over its 12 targets. The maximum payments that will be made in 2009-10 will be 3.528 million (revenue) and 3.528 million (capital). This programme will operate in a similar way to the local public service agreement programme.

Local Government: Data Protection

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if her Department will take steps to encourage local authorities to sign up to the Information Commissioner's Personal Information Promise.

John Healey: This is a voluntary initiative and is a matter for individual local authorities who, like all public sector organisations are required to comply with data protection legislation.
	My officials are working with the Local Government Association (LGA) to ensure that local authorities are aware as to how the Personal Information Promise relates to the guidance contained in LGA's recently published local government data handling guidelines.

Local Government: Standards

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the cost of comprehensive performance assessments to  (a) local authorities and  (b) the Audit Commission in the latest period for which figures are available.

John Healey: The reply I gave to the hon. Member on 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 104W, explained that the cost to local authorities of Audit Commission fees for comprehensive performance assessment (CPA) is offset by revenue support grant and that the cost of the Audit Commission's work on CPA is covered by a mixture of those fees and direct grant from my Department.
	The letter from the chief executive of the Audit Commission supplied as part of that answer set out two schedules providing details of the Commission's funding, covering its work on CPA for local authorities and for fire and rescue authorities, on an annual basis. Those schedules therefore provide information about the inspection fees paid by local authorities, and the Audit Commission's funding to cover the costs of carrying out CPA, up to 31 March 2008.
	The Department's grant funding to the Audit Commission for 2008-09 includes an estimated 15.7 million to complete the final CPA inspection programme for local authorities. In addition, the inspection fees paid to the Commission by local authorities are estimated to be 8.3 million for the year ending 31 March 2009.
	The Department also makes grant funding to the Audit Commission for the CPA inspection programme for fire and rescue authorities. For 2008-09 this is estimated to be 1.8 million.

Migrant Workers Northwest

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether Migrant Workers Northwest has received funding from  (a) her Department,  (b) the Government Office for the North West and  (c) the North West Regional Assembly since 2007.

Iain Wright: Migrant Workers Northwest receives no funding from Communities and Local Government, from the Government office for the north-west or from 4NW (the successor organisation to the North West regional assembly).

Non-Domestic Rates

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will introduce an element of transitional rate relief for non-domestic rates for the 2009-10 financial year.

John Healey: Transitional relief is used to reduce the impact of revaluations for those most affected by the changes in rateable value. For the last revaluation in 2005, limits were set so that the increases were phased in over a period of up to four years.

Non-Domestic Rates: Small Businesses

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the application of small business rate relief and the non-domestic multiplier is planned to be revenue neutral  (a) in each year and  (b) over the five year revaluation cycle.

John Healey: The funding of the small business rate relief is intended to be revenue neutral in each year.

Regional Government: South West

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable has been set for the South West Councils' Strategic Leaders' Board to be designated as a regional planning body.

Iain Wright: The Secretary of State is currently considering a request from the South West Councils Strategic Leaders Board to be designated as the regional planning body for the region with effect from April 2009.

Regional Government: South West

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the South West Council's Strategic Leaders' Board plans to assume the functions of the South West Regional Assembly.

Iain Wright: The South West Councils Strategic Leaders Board (SLB) was set up in December 2008. The SLB has proposed that it should be vested with the functions of Regional Planning Body (and also take on the housing and scrutiny roles of the Regional Assembly) as an interim arrangement from April 2009, in advance of introduction of the new regional governance arrangements outlined in the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill. No decision on the timetable has yet been taken.

Regional Government: South West

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what arrangements she plans to make for public consultation on the constitution of the proposed Strategic Leaders' Board of the South West Council; and what the timetable for the introduction of the board is.

Iain Wright: The South West Councils Strategic Leaders Board (SLB) set itself up in December 2008. Arrangements for public consultation on any aspect of its constitution are a matter for the SLB.

Regional Government: South West

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether hon. Members representing constituencies in the South West will have any role in relation to the South West Council's Strategic Leaders' Board.

Iain Wright: It is a matter for the South West Councils Strategic Leaders Board to decide whether they wish to give a formal role to hon. Members representing constituencies in the region.

Regional Ministers: Travel

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what dates the Government Office for each region has funded transport for assistants to Regional Ministers since their appointment; for what purpose in each case; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 23 February 2009
	I have been asked to reply.
	The Cabinet Secretary provided guidance to Departments on the support that can be provided to parliamentary assistants to Regional Ministers. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House. Information about the number of visits where assistants to Regional Ministers have used transport provided by Government Offices is not held centrally.

Regional Planning and Development

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she has issued on  (a) the composition of the proportion of a decision-making body designated as a regional planning body under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 to be comprised of stakeholders and  (b) the treatment of hon. Members as stakeholders for the purposes of the 2004 Act.

Iain Wright: No specific guidance beyond the provisions contained in Section 2 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and Regulation 4 of the Town and Country Planning (Regional Planning) (England) Regulations 2004 has been issued on either of the points contained in  (a) or  (b) of the question. However the provisions of the Act and regulations are briefly explained in paragraphs 2.2 and 2.3 of Planning Policy Statement 11: Regional Planning Strategies.

Rented Housing: Safety

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) socially rented homes,  (b) private rented homes and  (c) homes were assessed under the Housing Health and Safety Ratings Scheme in 2008-09; and of these, how many were defined as Category A hazards in (i) England, (ii) each English region and (iii) each London local authority area.

Iain Wright: The information requested is not held centrally.

Squatting

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of people who were  (a) squatting,  (b) facing eviction,  (c) in temporary accommodation,  (d) living in severe overcrowding and  (e) staying with friends or family because they had no accommodation at the latest date for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: Information about the number of people who are squatting is not collected centrally.
	Information about the number of people who are facing eviction is not collected centrally.
	Information about English local authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected quarterly at local authority level, about households rather than individuals.
	Data collected include the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
	The total number of households in temporary accommodation, as at 30 September 2008, was 72,130.
	Levels of overcrowding are measured through the Survey of English Housing and assessed against the 'bedroom standard'. The latest estimate is that 59,000 households, containing 362,000 people, live in severely overcrowded conditions. This is the estimate for 2007-08.
	Information about the number of people staying with family and friends because they have no accommodation is not collected centrally.

Tenants Rights: Crosby

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will commission research into the effect of changes to council tenants' rights since 2005 in Crosby; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: There were no substantive changes to tenants' rights following the transfer of homes from Sefton council to One Vision Housing in 2006 following a vote by tenants. One Vision Housing is regulated by the Tenant Services Authority, which will be developing new standards for landlord performance in 2009.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which maintained secondary schools have been  (a) converted into and  (b) replaced by academies since 1997.

Jim Knight: We do not make a distinction between schools which have been converted into Academies and those that have been replaced by Academies. The following list contains all maintained secondary schools that have been replaced by Academies since 2002, which is the first year that Academies opened.
	 Maintained secondary schools which have been replaced by Academies( 1)
	Abraham Darby Specialist School for Performing Arts
	Accrington Moorhead Sports College
	Agnes Stewart Church of England High School
	Anfield Community Comprehensive School
	Archbishop Michael Ramsey Technology College
	Archbishop Thurstan Church of England Voluntary Controlled School
	Avondale High School
	Axton Chase School
	Aylwin Girls' School
	Brackenhoe School
	Bradford Cathedral Community College
	Braim Wood Boys' High School
	Breckfield Community Comprehensive School
	Burlington Danes CofE School
	Canon Williamson CofE High School
	Christ Church CofE Secondary School
	Corby Community College
	Coulby Newham School
	Coulsdon High School
	Dartmouth High School
	Darwen Moorland High School
	Deacon's School
	Drayton School
	Ducie High School
	Eastbourne Comprehensive School
	Eastfields High School
	Ehenside Community School
	Evelyns School
	Forest Comprehensive School
	Geoffrey Chaucer Technology College
	George Salter High School
	Greensward College
	Grove Park Business and Enterprise College
	Halyard High School
	Hartshead Sports College
	Havelock School
	Hayward School
	Headlands School
	Heartsease High School
	Hengrove Community Arts College
	Herbert Shiner School
	Hereward Community College
	High Ridge School Specialist Sports College
	Hope High School
	Islington Green School
	John Mansfield School
	John Penrose School
	Joseph Ruston Technology College
	Keldholme School
	Langbaurgh School
	Langleywood School
	Lings Upper School
	Madeley Court School
	Malory School
	Middlefield School of Technology
	Midhurst Grammar School
	Midhurst Intermediate School
	Millbrook Community School
	Mitcham Vale School
	Montgomery School
	Myrtle Springs School
	North Westminster Community School
	Oaklands Community School
	Oldborough Manor Community School
	Our Lady's Catholic High School
	Peers School
	Pennywell School
	Pimlico School
	Portway Community School
	Rowan High School
	Senacre Technology College
	Shelfield Sports and Community College
	Sherwood Hall School and Sixth Form College
	Sherwood Hall Upper School
	Shireland Language College
	South Luton High School
	Southlands Community Comprehensive School
	Speedwell Technology College
	St. Aidan's County High School Specialist Sports College
	St. Chad's School
	St. David and St. Katharine CofE Secondary School
	St. George Community College
	St. Joseph's Academy
	St. Paul's Catholic School
	Stamford High School
	Stanley Technical High School for Boys
	T P Riley Community School
	Tamworth Manor High School
	Thamesbridge College
	Thamesmead Community College
	The Castle Hills Community Arts College
	The Channel School
	The City of Lincoln Community College
	The Compton High School and Sports College
	The Cornwallis School
	The Edgware School
	The Elmhirst School
	The Gateway Community College
	The Immingham School
	The John Bramston School and Sixth Form College
	The McEntee School
	The Morton School
	The Priory LSST
	The Queen Elizabeth School
	The Ramsgate School
	The Rickstones School
	Thorne Grammar School
	Torells School
	Waltheof School
	Walworth School
	Warwick Park School
	Waverley School
	West Gate Community College
	Westwood College
	Whitesmore School
	Willesden High School
	Willingsworth High School
	Wintringham School
	Withywood Community School
	Woodway Park School and Community College
	Woolston School Language College
	Wyebridge Sports College
	(1) Includes middle schools but not City Technology Colleges.

Care Proceedings

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many applications local authorities made for care orders in  (a) July 2008,  (b) August 2008,  (c) September 2008,  (d) November 2008 and  (e) December 2008.

Beverley Hughes: The Department collates statistics relating to children in the care system on an annual basis. The Children and Families Court Advisory Service (CAFCASS), an NDPB sponsored by the Department, holds data on the number of care applications received within each month.
	The following table shows the number of care applications (Section 31 applications) received by CAFCASS from July to December 2008.
	
		
			  Number of care (section 31) applications received by  CAFCASS 
			   Number 
			 July 2008 485 
			 August 2008 492 
			 September 2008 480 
			 October 2008 493 
			 November 2008 590 
			 December 2008 714

Children in Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent on children in care in  (a) secure units, homes and hostels,  (b) other residential settings and  (c) residential schools in each year since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: The total amount spent on children looked after in England who are placed in (i) children's homes, (ii) secure accommodation (welfare), (iii) fostering services, (iv) other children's services as well as the amount spent in all of these categories for all children looked after is shown in table 1 as follows. Data prior to 2000-01 were not collected on the same basis and is therefore not comparable. The expenditure by residential schools is not separately identifiable from existing data sources.
	
		
			  Table 1: Net current expenditure on children looked after, 2000-01 to 2007-08( 1, 2, 3) , England 
			  000 
			  Children looked after  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Children's homes(4) 691,245 713,332 785,152 850,271 917,694 942,176 926,969 901,356 
			 Secure accommodation (welfare)(5) 16,191 16,809 14,447 20,724 29,039 29,433 24,026 24,746 
			 Fostering services(6) 549,077 619,765 695,219 800,684 880,681 962,702 1,047,476 1,110,116 
			 Other children looked after services(7) 51,907 72,187 67,437 85,461 98,545 114,058 120,974 144,816 
			 Total children looked after 1,308,421 1,422,092 1,562,255 1,757,140 1,925,958 2,048,369 2,119,446 2,181,033 
			 (1 )Source: Personal Social Services Expenditure (PSSEX1 return) and Unit Costs: England 2007-08 publication available at http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/social-care/adult-social-care-information/personal-social-services-expenditure-and-unit-costs:-england-2007-08 (2 )The PSSEX1 return was first collected in 2000-01 by the Department for Health. Since 2004-05 the return has been the responsibility of the Information Centre for health and social care. (3) Includes the costs of looking after children for continuous periods of more than 24 hours. (4 )Children's homes includes residential care in Voluntary Children's and Registered Children's Homes as defined in Children Act 1989. It includes: community homes, associated independent visitor costs and relevant contact payments under sections 20/34 of the Children Act 1989, homes where education is provided, but does not attract education department funds, and boarding schools. Includes the social services share of the costs of community homes with education provision and the social services element of accommodating children with special education needs in schools where the education element is met by the education department. Note: the funding of the children's education is recorded in the Education SEA. Excludes mother and baby homes (these are included in 'other children looked after services' category) and secure units attached to community homes (these are included in the 'secure accommodation (Welfare)' category). Also excludes respite care for those children not meeting the definition of children looked after. (5 )Includes the costs of providing or purchasing secure accommodation for children who pose a risk to themselves, to others or have a secure accommodation requirement for welfare, rather than youth justice reasons, under the Children Act 1989. (6 )Includes all fees and allowances paid to foster parents and the costs of social worker and other support staff who support foster carers. Including: mainstay placements, link placements, permanence placements, temporary/respite fostering, placements with relatives/friends, other than a parent, under foster care arrangements (see other children looked after services as follows), placed pending adoption under S13 (1) Adoption Act 1976, associated independent visitor costs and relevant contact payments under sections 20/34 of the Children Act 1989. Excludes remand fostering and social work costs related directly to the fostered children. (7 )Includes support to looked after young people: in NHS/other establishments providing nursing/medical care, residential, respite and emergency nights in residential beds at family centres, in lodgings or hostels, in mother and baby homes, living independently in flats, bed and breakfast establishments or with friends, in residential employment, placed with their parent or person with parental responsibility, independent visitor costs and relevant contact payments under sections 20/34 of the Children Act 1989 not included under children's homes or fostering services aforementioned.

Children: Databases

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he plans to take to protect children whose data are compromised by breach of security in ContactPoint.

Beverley Hughes: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to his earlier question on 26 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1068W.

Children: Day Care

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to ensure access for disabled children to child care facilities in each local authority area.

Beverley Hughes: All local authorities are required to pay particular attention to the needs of families with a disabled child in meeting their duty to ensure there is sufficient child care in their areas.
	The Government's Aiming High for Disabled Children programme, announced in May 2007, included additional funding of 35 million for the period 2008-09 to 2010-11 to develop projects to improve access to child care for disabled children and young people and to reduce attitudinal barriers. Pilots began in September 2008 in 10 local authorities, to test out the ways of meeting the needs of disabled children in their areas, with best practice subsequently being rolled out more widely.

Children: Protection

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to ensure that 16 and 17 year olds have sufficient access to child protection services.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 19 January 2009
	Working Together to Safeguard Children (2006) sets out clearly that a child for the purposes of the Children Acts 1989 and 2004 respectively is anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday. It also stresses that the fact that a child has reached 16 years of age does not change his or her entitlement to services or protection under the Children Act 1989.
	In recognition of the fact that a significant number of young people who are the subject of a child protection plan or otherwise known to children's services may have or are being neglected, the Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families has commissioned York university undertake a study on the neglect of adolescents. This includes a review of the literature on the neglect of adolescents and the preparation of evidence-based materials to improve practice in this important area. The work will be published in the spring and disseminated widely within children's services.

Children: Social Workers

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills about the training of social workers for children.

Beverley Hughes: In December 2008, we announced a Social Work Taskforce which will make recommendations for long-term reform of social work; social worker initial training will be considered as part of this. The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills with its remit for higher education is an important partner in responding to these recommendations and ministers and officials from the two Departments are in regular conversations.

Children's Centres

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many Sure Start children's centres there are in the London borough of Barnet; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what Sure Start children's centres there are in Hendon constituency; when each opened; which centres are planned in Hendon constituency; when each is planned to open; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: There are 14 designated Sure Start Children's Centres in the London borough of Barnet with a further eight centres planned to be delivered by 2010, to provide universal access to children's centre services for children under five and their families.
	Seven children's centres are open in Hendon. Details are given in the following table. There are no additional children's centres planned for Hendon.
	
		
			  Centre  Designation date 
			 Parkfield Community School and Children's Centre 6 September 2006 
			 Wingfield Children's Centre 14 March 2006 
			 Barnfield Children's Centre 8 February 2008 
			 Bell Lane Children's Centre 8 February 2008 
			 Hyde Children's Centre 11 February 2008 
			 Stonegrove Children's Centre 6 March 2008 
			 The Kennedy Leigh Children and Family Centre 11 February 2009

Children's Centres

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) children and  (b) families are receiving services at each Sure Start children's centre in Hendon constituency; how many have received services at each centre since its inception; what estimate he has made of the number of children and families which will receive services at each planned centre; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The Department does not collect information centrally about the numbers of people accessing individual Sure Start Children's Centres. We expect local authorities and children's centres to collect data on the take up of services as part of their local performance management arrangements. Sure Start Children's Centres provide universal services for families with children under the age of five years. By 2010 there will be at least 3,500 Sure Start Children's centresone for every community.

Children's Centres

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the capital start-up cost of each Sure Start children's centre in Hendon constituency was; what the revenue costs of each have been in each year since it opened; what the current annual revenue cost of each is; how much  (a) his Department,  (b) the NHS and  (c) local authorities contributed to the (i) capital start up costs and (ii) annual revenue costs of each; what estimate he has made of the (A) capital start up costs and (B) annual revenue costs of each planned centre in Hendon constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The Department allocates funding to local authorities for the capital start up and revenue costs of Sure Start Children's Centres through the Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare Grant. It is for local authorities to determine how to allocate the funding between individual centres and the Department does not collect information on how much is allocated and spent at centre level. Information on Barnet's capital and revenue allocations for 2008-11 is given in the following table. The Department does not collect information on NHS or local authorities' contributions to the programme.
	
		
			   
			   2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Children's Centre Revenue 3,651,335 4,912,063 5,983,537 
			 Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare Capital Allocation(1) 2,342,190 3,199,744 2,520,657 
			 (1) Includes capital funding streams for children's centres and early years and childcare quality and access. Local authorities have flexibility to decide how much to spend on each element.

Children's Centres

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the performance against objectives of each Sure Start centre in Hendon constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Local authorities, working with their partners within Children's Trusts arrangements, are responsible for the overall delivery of the Sure Start Children's Centres programme in England. They are responsible for monitoring and managing the performance of individual children's centres in their area. The Department provides a performance measurement framework, including a self evaluation form, for centres and local authorities to use to monitor performance but performance of centres is not assessed centrally. Together for Children, the consortium the Department has under contract to support local authorities during the national roll-out of centres, is also providing additional guidance to local authorities on the performance management of their Sure Start Children's Centres.

Cross-department Assessment Panel

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 11 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2105W, on Cross-department Assessment Panel, what the names of the panel members are.

Beverley Hughes: I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 11 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2105W.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Hemel Hempstead

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students aged 16 to 18 years in receipt of an education maintenance allowance attend each educational institution in Hemel Hempstead.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Mark Haysom the LSC's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.

Education: Children in Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Training and Development Agency for Schools is taking to improve the educational achievement of children in care.

Jim Knight: Support for the children's workforce in improving outcomes for children in care is led by the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC). This work includes a planned initiative to support the growing number of Virtual School Heads who have a role in promoting the educational attainment of children in care. The CWDC works in partnership with other children's workforce agencies including the National College for School Leadership and the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA). The TDA is responsible for the training and development of the whole school workforce, and high quality teaching and learning are an essential part of ensuring the success of all children, including the most vulnerable such as looked after children.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families of those pupils achieving A* and A grades at GCSE, how many were at  (a) comprehensive,  (b) independent and  (c) grammar schools in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the number of pupils at the end of key stage 4 achieving at least one A* or A grade at GCSE and the number of these pupils who studied at comprehensive, independent and grammar schools.
	
		
			  Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 achieving at least one A* or A grade at GCSE, by school typeYears: 2004-08 Coverage: England 
			Of which attended: 
			   Number of pupils achieving at least one A* or A grade at GCSE  Comprehensive schools  Independent schools  Grammar schools  Other schools( 1) 
			 2004 224,088 162,620 36,827 19,272 5,369 
			 2005 228,623 166,142 37,443 19,448 5,590 
			 2006 238,436 173,795 38,626 19,976 6,039 
			 2007 242,629 177,604 38,674 20,046 6,305 
			 2008 252,618 185,967 39,236 20,478 6,937 
			 (1) Other schools' includes modern and other maintained schools.  Source: Secondary School Achievement and Attainment Tables

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 6 June 2007,  Official Report, column 496W, on educational attainment, 
	(1)  how many  (a) maintained secondary schools and  (b) independent secondary schools fell within each percentage point in terms of the proportion of pupils at the end of key stage 4 who achieved seven or more GCSEs at A* to C including English and mathematics in 2008;
	(2)  how many  (a) maintained secondary schools and  (b) independent secondary schools fell within each percentage point in terms of the proportion of pupils at the end of key stage 4 who achieved nine or more GCSEs at A* to C including English and mathematics in 2008.

Jim Knight: The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 30 April 2007,  Official Report, columns 1468-69W, on GCSE, if he will list the bottom 200 schools in terms of proportions achieving five or more GCSEs at A* to C including English, mathematics, science and a modern foreign language.

Jim Knight: The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Learning Disability

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what mechanisms are in place to ensure that funding allocated to local authority learning disability budgets is not spent on other areas; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: We allocate revenue funding to local authorities via the Dedicated Schools Grant. The allocation to each local authority recognises through proxy indicators the needs of pupils in the authority but is provided for all defined responsibilities of local authorities and schools. It is not possible to specifically identify a sum for learning disabilities. The local authority will then apply its local funding formula, which will have been developed in consultation with the Schools Forum, to allocate funding to the schools in their area and to ensure that their formula takes account of the individual needs and pressures of their schools.
	Schools have a duty under section 317 of the Education Act 1996 to use their best endeavours to make the necessary provision for pupils with SEN. In May 2008, an interactive website was published on the Audit Commission website, which helps schools determine if their spending on children with special educational needs is offering value for money and making real improvements to outcomes.

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon of 2 October 2008 on behalf of Mr. Mike Burgess, which was transferred to his office for reply by the Prime Minister's office.

Jim Knight: I replied to the hon. Gentleman on the 23 October 2008 as Minister with responsibility for this policy area.

Pre-School Education

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 490-91W, on pre-school education, how many and what proportion of children  (a) under the age of two,  (b) aged two,  (c) aged three and  (d) aged four years were in (i) full day care, (ii) full day care in children's centres, (iii) sessional care, (iv) after school clubs, (v) holiday clubs, (vi) childminder care, (vii) nursery schools, (viii) primary schools with nursery and reception classes and (ix) primary schools with reception but no nursery in each year since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: The Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey collects information on the ages of children in child care and early years providers in England. The following tables show the number and proportion of children attending child care settings for each year for which data are available. Data in the following tables are from the 2005, 2006 and 2007 Childcare and Early Years Providers Surveys. Data are not available separately for those aged under one year. In the 2005 survey data are only available for two age bands: under two, and between two and four years. Data for earlier years are not available.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of children attending child  care and early years providers by age ,  2007 
			  Type of p rovider  Under  2  years  2  years  3  years  4  years 
			 Full day care 167,900 203,100 249,700 144,400 
			 Full day care in children's centres 14,300 18,800 19,700 11,000 
			 Sessional care 5,200 63,500 158,600 93,700 
			 After school 2,800 4,100 11,300 32,000 
			 Holiday clubs 4,200 5,800 10,600 19,200 
			 Childminder 53,300 39,700 33,600 26,500 
			 Nursery schools(1)   17,600 20,600 
			 Primary schools with nursery and reception classes(1)   119,200 214,000 
			 Primary schools with reception but no nursery83,800 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Proportion of children in England attending child  care and early years providers by age ,  2007 
			  Percentage 
			  Type of p rovider  Under  2  years  2  years  3  years  4  years 
			 Full day care 13 34 42 25 
			 Full day care in children's centres 1 3 3 2 
			 Sessional care 0 10 27 16 
			 After school 0 1 2 6 
			 Holiday clubs 0 1 2 3 
			 Childminder 4 7 6 5 
			 Nursery schools   3 4 
			 Primary schools with nursery and reception classes   20 37 
			 Primary schools with reception but no nursery15 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Number of children attending child care and early years provides by age, 2006 
			  Type of p rovider  Under  2  years  2  years  3  years  4  years 
			 Full day care 169,200 206,600 259,900 174,100 
			 Sessional care 98,700 189,100 349,300 230,800 
			 Before school 36,700 44,900 65,400 55,600 
			 After school 41,000 50,300 73,400 66,400 
			 Holiday care 55,400 68,400 91,700 73,100 
			 Childminders 47,300 37,600 33,500 24,000 
			 Primary school with nursery(1)   96,000 16,700 
			 Primary school with reception(1)17,100 
			 Maintained nursery(1)   14,900 1,400 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Proportion of children in England attending child  care and early years providers by age ,  2006 
			  Percentage 
			  Type of p rovider  Under  2  years  2  years  3  years  4  years 
			 Full day care 13.1 32.9 42.9 29.5 
			 Sessional care 7.6 30.1 57.6 39.2 
			 Before school 2.8 7.2 10.8 9.4 
			 After school 3.2 8.0 12.1 11.3 
			 Holiday care 4.3 10.9 15.1 12.4 
			 Childminder 3.7 6.0 5.5 4.1 
			 Primary schools with nursery(1)   15.8 2.8 
			 Primary schools with reception(1)2.9 
			 Maintained nursery(1)   2.5 0.2 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 5: Number of children attending child  care and early years providers by age ,  2005 
			  Type of p rovider  Under  2  years old  2 to 4  years old 
			 Full day care 146,400 491,400 
			 Sessional day care 9,000 354,000 
			 Out of school 10,700 79,300 
			 Childminders 47,600 82,800 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 6: Proportion of children in England attending child  care and early years providers by age ,  2005 
			  Percentage 
			  Type of p rovider  Under  2  years old  2 to 4  years old 
			 Full day care 11.5 27.5 
			 Sessional day care 0.7 19.8 
			 Out of school 0.8 4.4 
			 Childminders 3.8 4.6 
			 (1 )These providers were only asked to provide data on the age groups where proportions are presented.  Notes: 1. Children may attend more than one provider and therefore will be included in the figures and proportions for more than one of the provider types in the tables. For this reason some columns total more than 100 per cent. 2. Sessional care: defined as facilities where children under eight attend day are for no more than five sessions a week, each session being less than a continuous period of four hours in any day. Where two sessions are offered in any one day, there is a break between sessions with no children in the care of the provider.

Pre-School Education

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1478W, on pre-school education, by what date he expects the extension of free early education entitlement to nursery care from 12.5 hours to 15 hours a week to apply in the case of two-year-olds in all local authority areas.

Beverley Hughes: The extension to the free early education entitlement for three and four year-olds from 12.5 hours to 15 hours a week will be delivered, in all local authorities, by September 2010.
	An offer of free early education to 15 per cent. of the most disadvantaged two-year-olds and their families will begin to be delivered in all local authorities by September 2009. We will be testing offers of both 10 and 15 hours in different local authorities, while we evaluate the best approach to further roll out of the offer.
	Decisions regarding the pace and scale of wider roll out will be taken based on evidence gathered from the pilot and in the light of wider fiscal considerations as part of the next comprehensive spending review.

Pupil Referral Units: Young Offenders

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of children in young offender institutions were previously in pupil referral units on the latest date for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: Data on the number of children in young offender institutions (YOIs) who were previously in pupil referral units are not collected centrally.

Pupil Referral Units: Young Offenders

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of children in pupil referral units were subsequently detained in young offender institutions in the last year for which data are available.

Beverley Hughes: Data on the number of young people in pupil referral units who were subsequently imprisoned in young offender institutions (YOIs) are not collected centrally.

Pupils: Computers

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been spent on the Electronic Learning and Mobility Programme to date; how many laptops have been provided to qualifying pupils under this scheme; and how many laptops issued  (a) are out on loan,  (b) have been returned damaged and  (c) have not been returned and are considered lost or stolen.

Jim Knight: The Electronic Learning and Mobility Project (E-LAMP), which provides quality distance learning opportunities for children who travel for part of the school year, is managed by the National Association of Teachers of Travellers (NATT+). NATT+ works with 50 local authorities and over 1,000 Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils on this project. NATT+ has reported that 1,317 laptops were issued from 2004-05 to 2008-09 and that the vast majority of these are still out on loan to the students. There have only been seven incidents of minor accidental damage. One laptop was sold by the family, but recovered quickly as it had been tagged by the local authority and the appropriate action taken to recover the cost. DCSF funding to NATT+ to support the project will comprise 600,000 for the two years beginning September 2008.

Residence Orders

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many applications for residence orders were made by grandparents in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	Figures on the number of applications by grandparents for Section X Private Law residence orders in county and High Courts in England and Wales are given in the following table. Public law applications (few in number) are not included, figures for family proceedings courts, where around 15 per cent. of applications are made, are also not provided as comprehensive information on applicant relationships is not available. Please note that the figures for 2008 are provisional and remain subject to change.
	Around 5 per cent. of applications have more than one applicant to child relationship specified. This could happen for a number of reasons. It could be that the applicant has a different relationship with each of the children in the case, that the application is made by more than one person or there may be counter applications made by two or more people. The table shows the total number of applications where any of the applicant-to-child relationships was specified as grandparent, even if other such relationships existed in connection with the same case.
	
		
			  Table  1: Relationship to child of applicants for Section 8  r esidence  o rders in England and Wales: County and High Courts applications made, including transfers, counted by child 
			   2006  2007  2008 
			 Total applications 32,382 32,940 35,501 
			 Total applicant to child relationships 33,956 34,681 37,227 
			 Total applications by grandparents 3,194 3,464 3,893 
			  Notes: 1. The figures include transfers from other courts. 2. Included in the figures are applications made in 2 different months. This may be because the case was transferred or because a second applicant made a counter application in a later month. Where this occurs the application will be counted twice in the total.

School Meals

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effects of the new requirements for nutritional analysis of school lunches on the capacity of schools to  (a) maintain their own menus and  (b) provide nutritionally-balanced meals; what representations he has received from schools on the matter; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Nutrient-based standards have been mandatory in primary schools since September 2008 and come into effect in secondary and special schools from September 2009. The School Food Trust has undertaken pilots in both primary and secondary schools to assess the practical steps schools and catering organisations would need to take in order to implement the standards. Both sets of pilots found that while implementing the nutrient-based standards does require schools to change those menus that are not compliant, the standards are nevertheless achievable and essential to improving the nutritional health of children. The lessons learned from both the primary and secondary pilots have been published in the trust's guidance on introducing nutrient-based standards which includes case studies at primary and secondary level.
	The School Food Trust has produced a caterer's guide to enable caterers to gather the information needed to demonstrate compliance with the standards. It has also undertaken an independent review of Nutritional Analysis Support Packages; this has been published as a guide and distributed to schools who manage their own catering services.
	While we are aware of concern in some parts of the sector around introducing nutritional standards in secondary schools from September, no representations from schools have been received on these.

Schools: Buildings

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many schools have adopted alternative performance standards from those set out in Building Bulletin 93  (a) in 2008 and  (b) since Building Bulletin 93 came into force;
	(2)  how many schools have been found to be non-compliant with Building Bulletin 93 for acoustic conditions  (a) in 2008 and  (b) since Building Bulletin 93 came into force.
	(3)  how many schools have been tested for the quality of acoustics  (a) in 2008 and  (b) since Building Bulletin 93 came into force.

Jim Knight: The Department does not have any figures for the numbers of schools that have adopted alternative performance standards, as permitted by Clause 1.2.1 of BB93. However many new schools use Clause 1.2.1 to inform some minor aspects of the acoustic design.
	All new school designs and major refurbishments are required to comply with the Building Regulations Part E on Acoustics. This quotes BB93 as the normal means of compliance. Checks for compliance with Building Regulations are made by Local Building Control Bodies and records on the levels of non-compliant schools are not held centrally.
	BB93 recommends that the client requires acoustic performance tests to be conducted but testing is not required for Building Regulations compliance.

Schools: Private Finance Initiative

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average length of a school Private Finance Initiative contract was in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The average length of a school private finance initiative contract in each year since 2001 is given in the following table:
	
		
			   Average length of contract of school PFI contract (years) 
			 2001 25 
			 2002 26 
			 2003 25 
			 2004 25 
			 2005 26 
			 2006 27 
			 2007 25 
			 2008 25 
			 2009 (to date) 25

Schools: Rural Areas

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools defined as rural there were in each county in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the number of maintained (a) primary schools designated as rural in 2007 and 2008 and (b) secondary schools currently defined as rural in each county in England.
	Rural primary schools were first designated in 2007 by a special Order. The Order was updated in 2008 when the Department adopted the common classification system developed by the Office of National Statistics. We do not have a record of schools defined as rural prior to 2007.
	Rural secondary schools are not designated. They are identified by the classification on the Department's register of schools. Once the register has been updated we do not retain the historic data and we are only able to provide the current number of secondary schools defined as rural.
	
		
			   Designated Rural Primary Schools  Rural Secondary Schools( 1) 
			   2007  2008  2009 
			 Barnet 1 0 0 
			 Barnsley 10 19 2 
			 Bath and NE Somerset 19 23 1 
			 Bedfordshire 78 79 17 
			 Blackburn with Darwin 4 5 0 
			 Blackpool 1 0 0 
			 Bolton 3 4 1 
			 Bracknell Forest 2 2 0 
			 Bradford 18 18 2 
			 Bromley 3 3 1 
			 Buckinghamshire 91 89 5 
			 Bury 2 3 0 
			 Calderdale 28 28 1 
			 Cambridgeshire 131 124 15 
			 Cheshire 104 100 5 
			 Cornwall 169 178 15 
			 Cumbria 181 188 19 
			 Darlington 5 5 1 
			 Derbyshire 173 174 12 
			 Devon 231 230 17 
			 Doncaster 18 18 2 
			 Dorset 82 84 16 
			 Durham 119 118 11 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 88 90 8 
			 East Sussex 73 73 7 
			 Enfield 1 1 0 
			 Essex 163 170 11 
			 Gateshead 9 8 1 
			 Gloucestershire 124 122 12 
			 Halton 3 3 0 
			 Hampshire 130 131 10 
			 Hartlepool 3 3 0 
			 Herefordshire 61 62 8 
			 Hertfordshire 82 82 5 
			 Hillingdon 2 2 0 
			 Isle of Wight 21 22 3 
			 Isles of Scilly 1 1 0 
			 Kent 189 184 10 
			 Kingston-Upon-Hull 0 0 1 
			 Kirklees 30 29 3 
			 Lancashire 153 180 13 
			 Leeds 15 21 2 
			 Leicester, City of 1 1 0 
			 Leicestershire 110 110 16 
			 Lincolnshire 188 186 25 
			 Medway 11 11 1 
			 Milton Keynes 14 15 2 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 1 1 0 
			 Norfolk 227 247 27 
			 North East Lincolnshire 4 4 1 
			 North Lincolnshire 40 40 7 
			 North Somerset 26 22 2 
			 North Tyneside 4 4 1 
			 North Yorkshire 233 244 21 
			 Northamptonshire 118 130 13 
			 Northumberland 83 89 25 
			 Nottingham City 2 0 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 111 107 11 
			 Oldham 10 10 1 
			 Oxfordshire 127 126 11 
			 Peterborough 9 11 2 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 17 16 3 
			 Rochdale 1 1 1 
			 Rotherham 16 15 1 
			 Rutland 15 17 3 
			 Sandwell 1 0 0 
			 Sefton 1 1 0 
			 Sheffield 3 3 1 
			 Shropshire 99 103 12 
			 Solihull 9 9 1 
			 Somerset 155 154 18 
			 South Gloucestershire 21 20 0 
			 Southend-on-Sea 2 0 0 
			 St Helens 6 6 1 
			 Staffordshire 110 105 11 
			 Stockport 1 2 0 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 3 3 0 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 1 0 1 
			 Suffolk 144 147 26 
			 Sunderland 1 1 0 
			 Surrey 58 57 4 
			 Swindon 11 13 2 
			 Tameside 1 1 2 
			 Telford And Wrekin 9 8 0 
			 Thurrock 7 7 1 
			 Torbay 1 1 0 
			 Wakefield 28 28 2 
			 Walsall 1 1 0 
			 Warrington 17 17 2 
			 Warwickshire 79 80 11 
			 West Berkshire 38 38 4 
			 West Sussex 87 86 6 
			 Wigan 0 9 1 
			 Wiltshire 139 132 11 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 11 11 2 
			 Wirral 2 2 0 
			 Wokingham 13 14 2 
			 Worcestershire 93 91 10 
			 York, City of 13 13 0 
			 Total 5,154 5,246 542 
			 (1) Excludes academies

Sixth Form Education: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what recent progress has been made in closing the funding gap between sixth form colleges and school sixth forms; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost of closing the funding gap between sixth form colleges and school sixth forms; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: By the end of 2008-09 academic year I fully expect that we will have reduced the funding gap between schools and colleges to around 5.6 per cent. This is in line with our commitment made in 2004-05 to reduce the gap by 8 percentage points. We will continue to close the gap further as funding allows but our priority is to maximise participation in learning by young people.
	The LSC have the detailed information required to calculate what the cost would be to close the funding gap between 16-18 pupils in school sixth forms and sixth form colleges/FE colleges. Mark Haysom, the LSC's Chief Executive, has written to the hon. Member setting out that in the current year the estimated cost of closing the gap would have been more than 135m. A copy of his letter will be placed in the Libraries.
	 Letter from Mark Hayson, dated 23 February 2009:
	Further to your question to the SOS for Children, Schools and Families and the reply by Jim Knight, Minister for Schools, I am supplying the additional information referred to in his answer.
	In his response Mr Knight mentioned that the gap in funding currently stands at 5.6%. Our funding system which came into effect for 2008/09 uses standard funding rates per standard learner number (SLN, a measure of the number of learners and the breadth of their learning). The base rates per SLN in 2008/09 are 2,945 for school sixth forms and 2,860 for FE college learners (including Sixth Form Colleges).
	As this is a new system there are no equivalent figures for 2007/08 but one may use the difference between the two base rates (85) as a proxy for the difference in funding in 2007/08, as the rates have both increased by the 'minimum funding guarantee' of 2.1%. We estimate that the number of SLNs in FE in 2007/08 was 1,002,322. Therefore the cost of bringing up the base funding rate per learner in all colleges would be approximately 85 million. In addition, schools receive a further 50 million towards pension payments for teachers. There are also a number of other factors influencing the funding differences between school sixth forms and FE, which are explored in more detail in a report undertaken for the LSC by KPMG, published on 6 May 2008. This is available on the LSC's website at:
	http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/National/nat-fundinggap-mav08.pdf
	We are continuing to work with DCSF and schools and colleges to review this funding difference and to look at ways of equalising funding.
	I hope you find this information useful.

Special Educational Needs: Young Offender Institution

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 11 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 2097-8W, on special educational needs: young offenders, what estimate he has made of the cost of undertaking an educational needs assessment within 10 days for a young offender placed in a young offenders institution to the  (a) Prison Service and  (b) local authority within whose area the young offenders institution is located; and how these costs compare to those which would be incurred if the local authority in which the young offender was resident immediately prior to a custodial sentence being imposed were required to provide copies of relevant psychological reports and assessments within the same time frame.

Beverley Hughes: Cost estimates sought in this question are not available. However, I can report that:
	 (a) It is not possible to separate out the cost of conducting an educational assessment on a child or young person in juvenile custody from other delivery as the cost is incorporated into the hourly rate paid to staff working in juvenile custodial establishments. As custodial establishments vary in size, the larger ones will carry out proportionately more assessments and will therefore benefit from economies of scale in price negotiations within awarding bodies.
	 (b) Local authorities are currently not responsible for assessing the educational needs of young people in young offender institutions because local authorities do not currently have responsibility for providing education and training for young people in juvenile custody. The current Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill proposes legislation to change this to make local authorities responsible for securing education and training for persons in juvenile custody.

Sure Start Programme

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1710W, on Sure Start programme, how many new Sure Start centres were designated in each month in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2006.

Beverley Hughes: The figures in the following table show the number of Sure Start children's centres designated in each month in 2006 and 2007.
	
		
			  Sure Start children's centres designated 
			  Month  Number 
			  2006  
			 January 39 
			 February 74 
			 March 274 
			 April 13 
			 May 3 
			 June 20 
			 July 23 
			 August 28 
			 September 103 
			 October 14 
			 November 8 
			 December 6 
			   
			  2007  
			 January 7 
			 February 56 
			 March 149 
			 April 6 
			 May 24 
			 June 28 
			 July 70 
			 August 35 
			 September 98 
			 October 95 
			 November 112 
			 December 159

Sure Start Programme

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1710W, on Sure Start programme, how many new Sure Start centres are planned to be established in each month in  (a) 2009 and  (b) 2010.

Beverley Hughes: Local authorities are responsible for planning the delivery of Sure Start children's centres so that by 2010 there will be at least 3,500 children's centres, providing universal access to services for children under five and their families. Local authorities successfully exceeded the target for 2,500 Sure Start children's centres in March 2008. There are now over 2,900 centres offering services to over 2.3 million children under five and their families.
	Together for Children, the Department's delivery partner for the children's centre programme, is supporting local authorities in finalising their plans and timescales for delivery and will monitor progress against those plans.

Swimming

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of children under the age of 16 years who are receiving swimming lessons from Qualifications and Curriculum Authority Level 2-trained swimming teachers;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of Qualifications and Curriculum Authority Level 2-trained swimming teachers in  (a) 1998 and  (b) 2008;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of vacancies for Qualifications and Curriculum Authority Level 2-trained swimming teachers in  (a) 1998 and  (b) 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Under the national curriculum for physical education, swimming is compulsory for all pupils in Key Stage 2 in primary schools. Across all primary and secondary schools, 85 per cent. provide swimming.
	All primary school teachers with qualified teacher status are able to deliver school swimming, subject to a risk assessment carried out by the head teacher. The recommendation from the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA)the national governing body for the sportis that ideally school swimming is taught by instructors with ASA/UK Coaching Certificate Level 2, and that they should be supported by a class teacher, who has undertaken at least Module One of the ASA National Curriculum Training Programme. Some local authorities insist that school teachers undertake this additional training in order to deliver school swimming in their pools.
	The Department does not collect data on swimming teachers or coaches. We understand from the ASA that there were 27,001 ASA/UK Coaching Certificate Level 2 swimming teachers in 1998 and 45,856 in 2008. The Department is not aware of a QCA-based qualification.
	The ASA does not have any data on the number of vacancies in 1998 and 2008.

Teachers: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of teachers employed in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire are recorded as being disabled.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Teachers: Males

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many male primary school teachers there are working in schools, broken down by indices of deprivation for  (a) school location and  (b) pupil residence.

Jim Knight: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teachers employed in local authority maintained primary schools broken down by the decile of rank multiple deprivation for school location. The equivalent information broken down for pupil residence is not available.
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent male teachers employed in local authority maintained nursery and primary schools by decile of rank multiple deprivation. Year: 2008 Coverage: England 
			  Deciles of rank of deprivation (percentage)  Number of male teachers 
			 0-10 (most deprived) 3,650 
			 10-20 3,050 
			 20-30 2,840 
			 30-40 2,780 
			 40-50 2,720 
			 50-60 2,600 
			 60-70 2,560 
			 70-80 2,420 
			 80-90 2,590 
			 90-100 (least deprived) 2,470 
			  Sources: School Census and The Department of Communities and Local Government Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007

Teachers: Pay

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of provisions for overtime pay for teachers for activities undertaken outside their contracted hours of employment.

Jim Knight: The statutory School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD), paragraph 52, provides for the relevant body (local authority or governing body) in a maintained school to make such payments as they see fit to a teacher, including a head teacher, in respect of:
	(a) continuing professional development undertaken outside the school day;
	(b) activities relating to the provision of initial teacher training outside the school day;
	(c) participation in out-of-school hours learning activities agreed between the teacher and the head teacher or, in the case of the head teacher, between the head teacher and the relevant body.

Westminster City Council

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what grants his Department and its predecessors made to Westminster City Council in each year since 2005-06; and what grants are planned for 2009-10.

Jim Knight: Tables showing the grants allocated by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, and its predecessors(1), to Westminster city council for each year since 2005-06, and planned for 2009-10, broken down between revenue and capital funding, will be placed in the Libraries.
	The revenue grant totals for 2006-07 onwards are not comparable with figures in 2005-06, because the introduction of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) in 2006-07 fundamentally changed how local authorities are funded for education services.
	Before 2006-07 local authorities were funded through education formula spending (EFS). This formed part of the annual local government finance settlement. EFS comprised school functions and local education authority (LEA) central functions, whereas DSG only covers the school functions. The DSG is based on each local authority's spend on schools in 2005-06, up rated each year for cost pressures and adjusted for changes in pupil numbers. LEA central functions are still funded through the local government finance settlement but cannot be separately identified. Consequently, there is a break in the Department's time series as the two sets of data are not comparable. For information the EFS figure for Westminster in 2005-06 was 97.5 million.
	The Teachers Pay Reform Grant was transferred to Dedicated Schools Grant in 2006-07.
	Children's Services grant transferred to the Formula Grant paid by the Department for Communities and Local Government in 2008-09.
	Capital figures exclude PFI credit allocations, and supported borrowing allocations as part of Building Schools for the Future. Allocations for targeted capital projects are shown in the year the project started.
	(1 )The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) were established under machinery of government changes on 28 June 2007. The tables only cover those areas of responsibility for children and schools held by their predecessor the Department for Education and Skills and the DCSF

Young People's Learning Agency

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what  (a) responsibilities and  (b) powers the Young People's Learning Agency will have with regard to academies.

Jim Knight: Provisions in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill give the Secretary of State powers to ask the YPLA to carry out certain functions relating to academies. These will include the funding, performance management and support of open academies. The YPLA will carry out these functions on behalf of, and at the request of, the Secretary of State, to whom it will be answerable in relation to this role.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent estimate he has made of the average annual cost, including salary, of the posting of a civil servant in his Department in  (a) Kabul and  (b) Helmand province.

Douglas Alexander: In 2009 the average unit cost of a UK member of staff based in Kabul is estimated to be 270,000 and the average unit cost of a UK member of staff based in Helmand is estimated to be 460,000. This constitutes salaries, allowances, administrative costs, accommodation, running costs and security, with the latter constituting the largest proportion.
	The additional cost of deploying a member of staff to Helmand mainly relates to providing security for civilian staff to relieve this burden from the military, and covering a fair share of costs in the use of military assets for transport.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Overseas Aid

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department plans to increase the assistance it provides to  (a) disarmament,  (b) demobilisation,  (c) repatriation,  (d) reintegration and  (e) rehabilitation programmes in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ivan Lewis: The UK Government are firmly committed to assisting disarmament, demobilisation, repatriation, reintegration and rehabilitation programmes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We have provided $35 million (around 19 million) to the World Bank-led seven year multi-country demobilisation and reintegration programme (MDRP). The MDRP has invested more than $200 million in the first phase of demobilisation and reintegration in the DRC. The UK Government have also recently granted an additional 1 million to the World Bank emergency trust fund focusing on reintegration of combatants, including children associated with armed forces, in Eastern Congo, and an additional $450,000 to the UN mission in DRC (MONUC) to support the repatriation of Rwandese combatants to their country of origin.

Departmental Broadcasting

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what  (a) television and  (b) radio programmes his Department has funded over the last 12 months; and at what cost.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) funds a scheme with the commonwealth broadcasting association which grants (up to 10,000 maximum) for travel bursaries and programme development costs to help develop programmes focused on the developing world.
	DFID has used radio and television programmes as a way to get messages to a wide audience in developing countries across country programmes and policy areas, however, it would incur disproportionate cost to disaggregate this expenditure from overall development programme spend.

Departmental ICT

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was spent on the implementation of Quest for  (a) additional fees to consultants and  (b) staff overtime.

Ivan Lewis: The information is as follows.
	 (a) Several consultants worked on the Electronic Document and Records Management (EDRM) System project in addition to the main supplier contract. They provided expertise in project management, procurement, benefits management, knowledge and information management, training and support. The following table sets out the costs of additional consultants taken on during the project, in addition to the systems integrators (Logica) who delivered the system, provided some change management advice and training support and now continue to support the ongoing operations of Quest.
	
		
			   Consultancy costs 
			 2002-03 347,265 
			 2003-04 194,982 
			 2004-05 110,519 
			 2005-06 1,189,000 
			 2006-07 323,000 
			 2007-08 346,000 
			 Total 2,510,766 
		
	
	These costs include travel expenses for visits by consultants and trainers to the Department for International Development's (DFID) offices in the UK and over 60 overseas offices.
	 (b) We do not hold figures for the cost of the small amount of DFID staff overtime during the project and providing them would incur disproportionate costs.

Departmental Internet

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will publish a copy of his Department's website accessibility plan.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development has published its accessibility plan on its website:
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	The accessibility section appears in the footer of the website.

Departmental Manpower

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development who is each person categorised as Head of Profession as referred to in his Department's Annual Report 2008, chapter 10, point 10.7; and what  (a) professional qualifications and  (b) work experience each has in relation to international development.

Ivan Lewis: The following gives the professional qualifications and work experience in relation to international development of the current Heads of Profession in DFID:
	 Head of Profession Economics: Sue Holloway
	BSc Economics
	5 years small business development in Latin America
	10 years in Government Economic Service including 18 months in DFID as regional Economic Adviser for Latin America
	 Acting Head of Profession Education: Jo Bourne
	MA Education and International Development Education
	7 years teaching overseas
	10 years experience with DFID as Education Adviser including period as acting Head of Office
	 Head of Profession Environment: Ian Curtis
	BSc Civil Engineering
	Professional Affiliations: Chartered Environmentalist, Member of Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), Member of Institute of Chartered Engineers (ICE), Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society (FRGS)
	15 years development work overseas (Africa and Asia) with the private sector, an NGO, DFID and the Swiss Government (SDC)
	Over 30 years professional experience on water and environmental management issues
	 Head of Profession Governance and Conflict: Mark Robinson
	MA Agrarian Studies and PhD Comparative Politics
	21 years experience as research fellow in development including with the Ford Foundation in India
	 Acting Head of Profession Health: John Worley
	MSc Demography
	10 years experience in global health with NGOs
	14 years experience as Health Adviser in DFID
	 Head of Profession Infrastructure: Yusaf Samiullah
	PhD Environmental Science and Ecotoxicology (London)
	Professional affiliations: Chartered Biologist, Institute of Biology (M I Biol); Chartered Member, Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM); Member, Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA); Principal, Environmental Auditors Registration Association (EARA); Chartered Civil Engineer, Fellow, Institution of Civil Engineers (FICE)
	29 years professional and relevant experience (7 in the private sector) in dozens of countries
	10 years experience overseas for DFID in Africa, Middle East and Asia
	 Head of Profession Livelihoods: John Barrett
	PhD in veterinary economics, MSc in agricultural economics and MSc is Pharmacology
	16 years long-term experience working in developing countries
	30 years professional involvement in development, including work in over 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Caribbean and the Far East
	 Head of Profession Private Sector Development: Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi
	MPhilDevelopment Studies and MPhil Political Economy
	2 years experience as a political economy researcher
	12 years experience as Private Sector Development adviser in DFID
	14 years professional development experience on economic growth issues in over 15 countries in Africa and Asia
	 Head of Profession Social Development: Ellen Wratten
	MSc Environment Planning and professional qualification in Urban and Regional Planning
	8 years experience in planning in the UK and overseas
	5 years experience as lecturer in Social Policy and Planning in Developing Countries and working as part-time development consultant
	13 years experience as Social Development Adviser with DFID
	 Head of Profession Statistics: Heidi Grainger
	PhD Sociology
	5 years work with indigenous peoples in various parts of the world
	10 plus years teaching of research methodology (especially quantitative)
	8 plus years teaching of colonial/post colonial issues
	Written various academic papers

Departmental Manpower

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to increase its recruitment of people with disabilities in line with targets for the Civil Service for 2008-09.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) holds the Job Centre Plus Two Ticks disability symbol which offers a guaranteed interview to applicants who declare a disability and meet the minimum standard for the post.
	DFID is currently reviewing its recruitment strategy for reaching a diverse audience. Over the last two years, DFID placed adverts in the 'Disability Now' publication. We are in the process of analysing the results, exploring alternative opportunities and consulting with other Government Departments.
	The civil service has set a target of 5 per cent. disabled staff within the senior civil service over the next five years. DFID will aspire to meet 4 per cent. by 2011. DFID continues to monitor and analyse disability through its annual diversity report. The 2008-09 report will be published in April.

Departmental Recruitment

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many people his Department  (a) sought for and  (b) recruited into its general faststream in 2008; and how many of those recruited into its general faststream were undertaking first degree courses at university when they successfully applied to his Department.

Ivan Lewis: In 2008, the Department for International Development (DFID) bid for no fast streamers, but recruited six new entrants. Of the six new entrants, none were undertaking first degree courses when they successfully applied to the Department.

Departmental Video Conferencing

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1310W, on departmental video conferencing, where the video conferencing facilities are located  (a) in the UK and  (b) world-wide.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development's (DFID) video-conferencing units in the United Kingdom are located in the Headquarters offices at 1 Palace Street, London and in East Kilbride, Glasgow. In addition, five members of the Top Management Group have small desktop video-conferencing units at their home addresses at various locations in the UK.
	The world-wide units are located in the following 40 countries;
	Afghanistan
	Bangladesh
	Barbados
	Belgrade
	Brazil
	Burma
	Cambodia
	China
	Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
	Ethiopia
	France
	Ghana
	India
	Indonesia
	Iraq
	Israel
	Italy
	Jamaica
	Kenya
	Kosovo
	Kyrgyzstan
	Malawi
	Mozambique
	Nepal
	Nicaragua
	Nigeria
	Pakistan
	Rwanda
	Sierra Leone
	South Africa
	Sudan
	Switzerland
	Tajikistan
	Tanzania
	Uganda
	USA
	Yemen
	Zambia
	Zimbabwe
	Bosnia

Departmental Visits Abroad

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which hotels in Nairobi are designated as preferred for the purposes of his Department's officials' travel arrangements as set out in the departmental staff handbook.

Ivan Lewis: The current marker hotel for Nairobi is the Fairview Hotel. This selection was arrived at following a joint exercise conducted by the Department for International Development (DFID) and the British high commission. The criteria for selection included value for money, proximity to the office and acceptable security standards. If that hotel is fully booked, the Serena Hotel is used as the next best option.
	DFID and the high commission are currently re-tendering hotel accommodation and will select two marker hotels by the end of March 2009, using similar criteria.

International Planned Parenthood Federation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what records his Department holds on the uses to which the core funds of the International Planned Parenthood Federation have been put over the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) receives core funding from the Department for International Development (DFID) of 8.6 million per annum. This is in recognition of their improved performance and global leadership in support of global sexual and reproductive health and rights. Core funding is provided to support IPPF's global plan of work and DFID does not require IPPF to separately track and account for DFID funding.
	DFID provides funding to IPPF for its work to promote reproductive health. IPPF produces an annual report and audited accounts which are used by DFID for monitoring purposes. DFID also attends IPPF's annual donor consultation meeting to consider issues such as performance and effectiveness. The IPPF Annual Report is available on-line at:
	http://www.ippf.org/en/

Joint Environment, Infrastructure and Livelihoods Retreat

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the  (a) date,  (b) duration and  (c) location was of the Joint Environment, Infrastructure and Livelihoods Retreat run by his Department and supported by HTSPE Ltd in 2008, reference number 200808420.

Ivan Lewis: The joint environment, infrastructure and livelihoods retreat in 2008 was held between June 30 - 4 July. The venue was Wyboston Lakes, conference centre, Wyboston, Bedfordshire UK.

Mass Media

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost of his Department's contracts with press monitoring services was in each of the last five years.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development's (DFID) press office has three types of contracts for coverage monitoring. Press cuts are provided by EDS (Electronic Distribution Service), broadcast coverage by the MMU (Media Monitoring Unit) and online coverage by Meltwater. The latter is relatively a new service from 2006. Details of DFID spend on press monitoring is displayed in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Total cost () 
			 2004-05 70,310.85 
			 2005-06 120,257.07 
			 2006-07 138,378 
			 2007-08 202,694 
			 2008-09 (to date) 103,284

Population: China

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether account is taken of the human rights implications of the Chinese one-child policy in his Department's decisions on aid to China; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) works closely and has ongoing constructive dialogue with the Chinese Government regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights. This is an important element of our support for reproductive health (through agencies such as UNFPA and IPPF) and HIV prevention. The UK Government do not support China's one-child policy or its implementation. We are working to promote and uphold the principles of free and informed choice as set out at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994.
	Although the one-child policy remains in place, China has made good progress in ensuring reproductive rights more generally, especially through its implementation of the 2002 Law of Population and Family Planning. The law spells out rights and responsibilities for clients, service providers and family planning officials. Most provinces have enacted their own regulations in accordance with national law.

UN Population Fund

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the annual report of the United Nations Population Fund for each of the last two years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library copies of reports on population control in China received by his Department from the  (a) International Planned Parenthood Federation and  (b) United Nations Fund for Population Activities; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will place in the Library copies of recent comments made by  (a) the United Nations Population Fund and  (b) the International Planned Parenthood Federation relating to coercive population policies in China; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Copies of the last two annual reports published by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will be placed in the Library. UN agencies publish their annual reports on their external websites:
	www.unfpa.org/about/report
	The Department for International Development (DFID) does not hold copies of reports and/or comments on population control in China from or with regard to  ( a ) UNFPA and ( b ) the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). The UK Government do not support China's one-child policy or its implementation. We are working to promote and uphold the principles of free and informed choice as set out at the international conference on population and development in Cairo in 1994. UNFPA and IPPF are both working to promote reform and change in China. Neither supports the one- child policy or its implementation. As a condition of UNFPA support, the Chinese authorities have removed birth quotas and targets within the counties in which UNFPA provides support.

UN Population Fund

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development who the UK representative on the Executive Board of the United Nations Population Fund is; and what relevant  (a) specialist and  (b) general qualifications and experience this representative has.

Ivan Lewis: The British representative on the Executive Board of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is an accredited member of the United Kingdom Mission to the United Nations, acting under the direction of the UK ambassador to the UN.
	The current incumbent has specialist skills and qualifications in both economics and international relations. They also have seven years of practical experience working across government in the UK and four years experience working in the multilateral system.

UN Population Fund

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions  (a) Ministers in his Department and  (b) officials have had with the United States Administration on its decision to (i) reinstate the US contribution to the United Nations Population Fund and (ii) rescind the Mexico City policy; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Meetings have been held at official level with both the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) since the new Administration took power. Both USAID and PEPFAR are experiencing considerable transition and it will take some months before policy and funding changes are clarified. Discussions will be on-going to engage with and where appropriate to influence this process.
	The UK Government welcome early signs of the new US Administration's support for family planning and sexual reproductive health and rights. Rescinding the Mexico City Policy paves the way for organisations such as the International Planned Parenthood Fund (IPPF) to apply for US funding. In addition the US President has made a clear statement in support of UNFPA and the US Congress has already passed the omnibus financial year 2009 Spending Bill that provides for US$50 million for UNFPA.

UN Population Fund

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the United Nations Population Fund in promoting non-coercive approaches to family planning in China since October 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has successfully demonstrated that non-coercive family planning methods can be effective in China. UNFPA's policies and activities in China, as in the rest of the world, are in strict conformity with the unanimously adopted programme of action of the international conference on population and development in 1994.
	UNFPA's policy of constructive engagement with the Chinese Government is helping to influence China's approach to reproductive health and rights. For example the Chinese national population and family planning commission and the Ministry of Health have begun to harmonise standards of service delivery protocols to include UNFPA quality of care principles, such as counselling, to enable informed choice and promote client rights.

Zimbabwe: Drinking Water

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the ability of the population of Zimbabwe to access clean water; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: A recent household survey conducted by UNICEF in Zimbabwe showed that 77 per cent. of households across rural areas relied on a safe water source. A large number, therefore, do not have good enough water to prevent exposure to diseases such as cholera. In urban areas, where most people rely on piped municipal water, a breakdown in infrastructure and a lack of chemicals has placed an increasingly large number of households at risk.

Zimbabwe: Food

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the ability of the population of Zimbabwe to obtain food; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We expect that 7 million people will have received food aid in February, and more disease outbreaks are possible. The Government of Zimbabwe have failed to procure the share of food necessary, in turn creating additional pressure on existing supplies. Although the harvest looks set to be reasonable, it will be small in scale. It is expected that a significant food aid programme will be required in the coming year.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) is doing everything it can to help save lives in Zimbabwe. This financial year we expect to deliver a programme of 49 millionincluding in the areas of food security; combating HIV and AIDS; supporting orphans and vulnerable children; providing essential medicines; and fighting cholera.

Zimbabwe: Health Services

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the ability of the population of Zimbabwe to access health services; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Years of political and economic mismanagement have eroded a once very fine health service in Zimbabwe. General health status indicators have fallen in the last few years and especially since the failed elections of 2008. The number of preventable deaths has increased significantly as public health services have been depleted. Rural transport networks have become expensive and the majority of Zimbabweans have found it increasingly difficult to access health services.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting the preservation of basic life-saving health services for the Zimbabwean people through the procurement and distribution of vital medicines and supplies, the retention of health workers, support for the cholera response and to the on-going, crippling HIV and AIDS epidemic. Altogether, DFID will contribute over 20 million this year to protect access to basic health services in Zimbabwe, as part of a 49 million programme to help meet the essential needs of the Zimbabwean people, in terms of food, medical and other assistance.

Zimbabwe: Sanitation

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of levels of sanitation in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: A recent household survey conducted by UNICEF in Zimbabwe showed that 40 per cent. of households across rural areas had access to a functional toilet. A large number therefore have poor levels of sanitation that increases exposure to diseases such as cholera. In urban areas, where most people rely on piped municipal water and piped sewerage, a breakdown in infrastructure and a lack of chemicals places increasingly large numbers of households at risk.
	On 26 November 2008 the UK Government announced a 10 million package of support to provide life-saving assistance and respond to the escalation of cholera in Zimbabwe. We are working closely with UNICEF and the World Health Organisation to tackle the crisis. Our support includes: help to establish a cholera command and control centre (to coordinate the response); distribution of cholera response kits; provision of potable water in affected areas; and essential medicines and other vital support to health systems.